Verfassungsfragen zivilrechtlicher Klagen zur Durchsetzung von Klimaschutzzielen

While protecting the world climate became an abstractly undisputed objective of modern environmental policy almost worldwide, the specific tools to achieve the climate protection goals – as inherent in the Paris Treaty – are still controversial. From realignment of energy production and its sources to energy saving, there are a lot of different means, in particular, of administrative law to promote the reduction of climate gases. In addition to public legislation protecting the world climate various environmental activist groups in different countries proceeded to private law litigation suing energy producing companies for damages. Recently, the first steps towards private law climate litigation have been taken, in Germany. The following analysis, based on an expertise produced by the author, discusses the constitutional limits and restraints put on private law courts to grant compensation, in particular, with regard to climate gases legally emitted over the last 70 years.