German environmentalists have filed charges against the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg for allegedly failing to meet its climate targets, the Environmental Action Germany group said on Tuesday.

The non-profit, which brought the case to the state administrative court in Mannheim, aims to compel state authorities to implement an action programme before the next state elections in March 2026, in order to meet the self-imposed targets.

According to the Climate Protection Act of Baden-Württemberg, the state must reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 65 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2030.

This reduction is intended to help the state achieve climate neutrality by 2040.

However, last year scientists projected that Baden-Württemberg, which is home to many of Germany’s manufacturing businesses, including major car industry players like Porsche and Mercedes, was on track to miss the 2030 target.

The Climate Act also stipulated that further measures must be taken if an “imminent significant deviation from targets” is identified.

So far, the state government, a coalition of the conservative Christian Democrats and the Greens, had failed to act.

DUH managing director Jürgen Resch accused the state government of deliberately violating the law.

He proposed introducing a statewide speed limit on the Autobahn, a controversial issue in Germany, as well as energy-efficient refurbishments of schools and daycare centres as additional ways to reduce emissions.

(dpa/NAN)