A ruling from the District Court of Nürnberg-Fürth has declared that Adidas' advertising regarding its climate neutrality goals is misleading and impermissible.

The court's decision prohibits the sports apparel manufacturer from promoting its claim of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, based on arguments posed by Jürgen Resch, the federal managing director of the Deutsche Umwelthilfe (German Environmental Aid).

The legal action emerged from concerns that Adidas' statements on its website constituted 'greenwashing.' The Deutsche Umwelthilfe alleged that the company failed to adequately elucidate the strategies it plans to implement in order to achieve climate neutrality.

The court noted that the impression left by Adidas’ marketing suggested that climate neutrality could be reached solely through emission reductions, a point deemed inaccurate by the court.

It was observed that Adidas is intending to incorporate the use of carbon offset certificates in its strategy to meet its climate goals.

In its defense, Adidas asserted that it plans to achieve 90% of its climate objectives by 2050 through direct CO₂ reduction initiatives, claiming that its targets for 2030 are expected to be fulfilled entirely through its own efforts.

The company also pointed out that the ruling would not require adjustments to its operations, as the disputed statement had been revised in August 2024.

Following the court's ruling, an Adidas spokesperson reiterated that the company’s plans and emission reduction targets remain unchanged and highlighted that progress has already been noted in this area.

Since 2022, Adidas has reported a 20% reduction in absolute emissions across its supply chain.

In contrast, Jürgen Resch criticized the company for what he sees as misleading climate neutrality claims, implying that Adidas is likely to rely heavily on compensation projects to achieve its goals, which he termed a 'modern indulgence trade.'