In December, the German Environmental Aid (DUH) submitted a lawsuit against Adidas AG to the Nuremberg-Fürth district court because the company had promised to become “climate-neutral” by 2050. The court has now prohibited Adidas court to continue using a certain advertising statement, the DUH announced on Wednesday.
Specifically, it is about the following statement that was once found on the website of the Herzogenaurach sporting goods manufacturer: “By 2050 we will be climate -neutral: Adidas commits to a number of ambitious goals that will pave the way to climate neutrality along our entire value chain 2050.”
The court found that a significant part of the consumer: Inside, this statement understands that Adidas wants to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 exclusively through emission reductions and without CO₂ compensation. Since the term “climate -neutral” is ambiguous and consumers: on the inside have an increased need for clarification, companies must provide clear and transparent information. However, Adidas has not sufficiently disclosed that the company also strives for climate neutrality through CO₂ compensation measures such as the acquisition of green electricity certificates. This could be consumers: mislead in their purchase decision.
While the DUH welcomed the decision and emphasized the importance of transparent promise of future, Adidas reacted calmly. The climate goals and measures to reduce emissions remain unchanged, a spokesman said at the request of Fashionunited. These were examined and confirmed by the independent Science Based Targets initiative. In February 2025, Adidas also received the top grade “A” for his climate protection program from the non-profit organization CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project).
In addition, Adidas sees no further need for action, since the judgment only refers to a single wording on the company website, which was already adapted in August 2024.