In the dispute over the continued construction of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, the German environmental organization Environmental Action Germany (DUH) has applied for a withdrawal of the construction and operation permit.
DUH plans to argue its case based on protecting the climate and a recent ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court.
The court has created "new facts" with its constitutional requirement to protect the climate, according to a DUH statement on Wednesday.
It also said that significant findings on the climate impact and extent of methane emissions from the natural gas industry only became known after the Nord Stream 2 permit was granted in 2018.
Therefore, the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) must revoke the permit, it said.
"In the alternative, DUH requests that the omitted climate protection assessment be made up for and that the further construction of the pipeline be suspended for this period."
The undersea pipeline connecting Russia and Germany has for years come under fierce criticism from Washington and some Eastern European countries, which believe it will make Europe more dependent on Russian energy supplies.
The German government has refused to halt the project, however, arguing that it is a commercial venture.
The pipeline is almost finished. In German waters, 13.9 kilometres of one strand and 16.8 kilometres of the other have yet to be completed.
In its legal challenge, DUH cites an April ruling by the Constitutional Court that found Germany's climate protection laws are not extensive enough, forcing the government to set clear targets to cut emissions in the post-2030 period by the end of next year.
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