Climate Justice Programme, 03 February 2006

For immediate release

BERLIN (GERMANY) February 3, 2006 -- Following a key legal challenge to the secrecy of the German Economics Ministry, the climate change impacts of German export credits will soon have to be disclosed. The legal challenge was brought by campaign groups Germanwatch and BUND/Friends of the Earth, Germany.

In an important judgment which forms part of the settlement of the case on 31st January 2006, Judge Gaudernack at the Berlin Administrative Court rejected both the German government’s two arguments - that its export credit activities were not subject to European environmental information laws, and that these credits did not affect climate change and the environment. Through its agency Euler Hermes AG, German export credits provide financial support for projects overseas that contribute to climate change, such as coal power plants and mining.

The environmental groups’ request for a list and details of energy production projects supported by the German taxpayer was rejected by the Economics Ministry in August 2003. Legal proceedings began in June 2004 with the support of the international and collaborative Climate Justice Programme.

Christoph Bals, Head of Policy at Germanwatch said:

"Germany is the world's export leader, and now we can see how much tax payers' money is contributing to those exports that damage the global climate. We consider this as only a first step towards transparency regarding the climate impacts of German exports. Climate change must be prevented not only by enforcing policies and measures in developed countries, but also by establishing climate risk as an essential criterion for exported technologies."

Gerhard Timm, Director of BUND said:

"This case is an important step in the direction of much-needed transparency and climate protection. Taxpayers’ money must be spent to safeguard the environment, and now we can monitor this situation with respect to export credits and climate change."

Roda Verheyen, co-Director of the Climate Justice Programme commented:

"It is finally clear that the German taxpayer has the right to know whether its money spent on export credits protects or destroys the climate. We expect now the government and Hermes to implement the settlement rapidly and to respond to future requests openly and lawfully. Nationally and internationally we need an export credits policies which show that reflects the need for urgent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. This case will also give a boost to other campaigners around the world trying to hold export credit bodies to account over climate change."

Peter Roderick, co-Director of the Climaet Justice Programme added:

"It's great to read the Court's opinion that the Directive applies to the export credit function, that export credits affect the environment, that international relations and commercial confidentiality cannot be used as a reason to support non-disclosure, and that the information should be stored electronically to enable ease of access. All in all, a successful outcome for Europe's first climate change legal case."

Read the Order of the Berlin Administrative Court (Beschluss)

Read an unofficial translation by the Climate Justice Programme

Read more background information

Contacts:

Christoph Bals, Executive Director Policy, Germanwatch Tel. + 49 30 228 6049217 http://www.germanwatch.org

Ralf Willinger, Germanwatch Press Office, Tel: + 49 30 288 83565; willinger@germanwatch.org

Almut Gaude, BUND Press Office Tel. + 49 163 607 9090 (mobile) presse@bund.net http://www.bund.net

Roda Verheyen, Co-Director, Climate Justice Programme (Hamburg) + 49 179 465 2979 (mobile)

Peter Roderick, Co-Director, Climate Justice Programme (London) + 44 20 7388 3141 http://www.climatelaw.org