Adidas advertised in a misleading and unlawful manner with the claim "We will be climate neutral by 2050," according to a decision by the Nuremberg-Fürth District Court.
The lawsuit was filed by German environmental organization Deutsche Umwelthilfe, which said the ad, which the company has now removed from its website, was an example of "greenwashing."
Adidas has not explained clearly enough how it plans to achieve climate neutrality. It is a misconception that this can only be achieved by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to Deutsche Umwelthilfe.
The company actually plans to use emission compensation certificates to reach its goals, the environmental organization says.
Adidas said the ruling did not require any additional steps because it had already changed the disputed message in August last year.
"Our plans and targets for reducing emissions remain unchanged," a company spokesman said.
Progress, he added, is already visible – from 2022, total emissions, including those from the supply chain, are 20 percent lower.
"Adidas has deceived its customers with false promises of alleged climate neutrality," stressed Jürgen Resch, director of Deutsche Umwelthilfe.
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