Farmer takes Volkswagen to court for CO2 emissions

German carmaker Volkswagen will be prosecuted for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its vehicles after a German regional court has accepted the lawsuit filed by a local farmer. The court in question, in the city of Detmold, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, announced today that the trial is scheduled for February 3, 2023. Although the judge presiding over the case criticized the lack of clarity in the case of the farmer, his lawyer considered it a success that the case was not dismissed a priori. With the lawsuit, the farmer wants the German company to stop selling cars and light commercial vehicles powered by combustion engines starting in 2030. As of today, the European Union (EU) plans to adopt this measure in 2035. 62-year-old organic farmer Ulf Allhoff-Cramer accuses the world’s second largest auto maker of being responsible for 1% of global CO2 emissions. According to Allhoff-Cramer, he is endangering the future of agriculture and his very commercial existence. Volkswagen has dismissed the allegations and pitted them against his advances in the field of electric mobility, in a statement. Furthermore, he argued that most of the CO2 emissions from passenger cars fall within the sphere of influence of the drivers and not the manufacturer. In his opinion, it is also not possible to predict the concrete consequences of climate change on a small scale, as the Allhoff-Cramer case claims. Despite today’s decision, the brand still hopes that the case will be closed and has expressed “serious doubts” on the observations made by the judge.