Farmer sues VW over climate change; German court has doubts

By FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — A court in Germany cast has doubt on claims by a German farmer that automaker Volkswagen is partly responsible for the impact that global warming is having on his family business. The plaintiff alleges that drier soil and heavier rains due to climate change are harming his fields, cattle and commercial forests. He claims that VW as the world’s second-biggest automaker has contributed to the damage. But German news agency dpa reported that a regional court in the western town of Detmold asked the plaintiff on Friday to provide more details to back up their arguments. The case is supported by Greenpeace, which has backed similar legal efforts in Germany to hold companies and the government accountable for climate change.