A German court has ruled that Adidas must stop promoting its climate neutrality targets, citing misleading advertising. The decision follows a legal challenge brought by NGO Environmental Action Germany (DUH), which accused the sportswear brand of greenwashing.
The Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court ruled on 25 March that Adidas cannot claim it will be climate neutral by 2050 without providing clear and specific information about how it plans to achieve this target. In particular, the court noted the company had not explained whether it would use carbon offsets and failed to define what it meant by “climate neutral”.
“The term is ambiguous,” the court said, adding that consumers could be misled without proper context or explanation.
Jürgen Resch, DUH’s Federal Director, welcomed the verdict. “Adidas deceived its customers with its promise of alleged climate neutrality,” he said. “This ruling highlights the need for transparent and verifiable climate claims.”
adidas may still appeal the decision. A company spokesperson said the court’s ruling did not require any new action, as the specific language on its website had already been amended in August 2024. The spokesperson added, “Our plans and targets for reducing emissions remain unchanged,” noting that the company’s goals had been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative and that adidas received an “A” grade from the CDP for its climate programme in February 2025.
According to Adidas’ latest annual report, the company aims to reach net zero by 2050. Interim targets include a 70% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 43% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030. The company reported a 20% cut in absolute emissions across all three scopes since 2022.
The case adds to a growing list of greenwashing lawsuits against major corporations. In 2024, a Dutch court ruled that KLM’s advertising around carbon offsets was misleading under EU consumer law. More recently, Apple has faced legal action in the US over claims its carbon-neutral Apple Watch relies on questionable offsetting projects.
Critics argue that carbon offsets—often used to balance out emissions—lack robust global standards, and in some cases, may overstate or duplicate their climate benefits.
