Germany's heating law likely to be challenged in court

Germany's coalition government has drafted a heating law that includes a "Biotreppe" – a gradual increase in biogenic fuels – intended to promote climate‑friendly heating. Legal experts say a lawsuit against the law is almost certain, and that challengers have a good chance of success. The Federal Constitutional Court, which in 2021 ruled that governments may set climate pathways but cannot decide whether climate protection itself should occur, could deem the new law insufficient. The government admits it does not yet know how the legislation will affect greenhouse‑gas emissions, and both the Union and SPD have not set a clear deadline for ending fossil‑fuel heating. If the court finds the law inadequate, future administrations may have to revise it.