Title:
Greenpeace Luxembourg v. Schneider
Party:
Luxembourg
Region:
Europe
Date of text:
December 01, 2019
Data source:
Sabin Center
Court name:
Administrative Court
Reference number:
Not available
Abstract:
In September 2019, Greenpeace Luxembourg brought an action in administrative court against the Luxembourgish Minister of Social Security, Roman Schneider. Greenpeace claims that the Minister failed to respond to an August letter asking for information regarding how Luxembourg's sovereign pension fund planned to align its investments with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, and information on the climate-related financial risks associated with the fund's investments.
According to Greenpeace, in December 2019 an administrative judge ruled that the claim was admissible because Minister Schneider failed to comply with his legal obligation to respond to the letter, and the information sought was covered by the Law on Access to Environmental Information. However, the judge found no legal basis for requiring the Minister to comply with the Paris Agreement or to have the climate-related information that Greenpeace requested. Greenpeace reports that in March 2020, the president of the sovereign pension fund promised in a letter addressed to Greenpeace Luxembourg that the fund will deliver a sustainability report in the third quarter of 2020, including a detailed analysis of the carbon footprint and the climate-related financial risks of the fund's investments.
Key environmental legal questions:
Claimant sought information on Luxembourg's national pension fund's investment in climate-harming industries.
Notes:
Suits against governments; Access to information