The German Environmental Aid (DUH) was successful with an injunction against Adidas before the Nuremberg-Fürth district court. The sporting goods manufacturer was accused of making false promises about the climate protection ambitions. Adidas promised that he wanted to become climate neutral by 2050, but did not explain how this goal should be achieved specifically beyond 2030. The district court now obliged the company to say that the statement “We will be climate -neutral by 2050: Adidas commits to a number of ambitious goals to pave the way to climate neutrality along our entire value chain 2050.” no longer to be used. The lawsuit refers to the use of this statement on July 23, 2024 on the Adidas Group website. The promise was removed from the website before the lawsuit was issued and no goals beyond 2030 will be communicated on the website.
Jürgen Resch, Federal Managing Director of the DUH, says about the process: “Adidas has deceived its customers with his promise of an alleged climate neutrality. It is crucial whether and to what extent the company actually aligns its products or its entrepreneurial action. Un-regulated certificates. He calls on politics to draw up clearer rules for sustainability promises and to sanction violations harder: “The defeat of Adidas in court underlines how important clear and transparent promise of the future is. The climate crisis is in full swing and yet more and more companies are increasingly promoting companies with non -transparent and unbelievable promises. That is why we need clear legal requirements. Opening of implementation plans and independent testing points that check the adherence to the intermediate targets.
