Environmental Action Germany

The association was founded on 5 August 1975 simultaneously with the BUND regional association in Baden-Württemberg by Hermut Ruland, Gerhard Thielcke and Rudolf L. Schreiber. The original purpose of the association was to generate donations for the BUND, which, unlike other environmental associations, could also include funds from the private sector. In the first 13 years of its existence, the DUH focused on financing nature conservation projects and environmental education. At that time, its office was located in Öhningen (Baden-Württemberg). Initiated by DUH, the BUND and the NABU, the European Nature Heritage Foundation (Euronatur) was founded in 1987, the first European Environment Year, to support nature conservation projects throughout Europe. In 1988, the DUH moved into new offices in Radolfzell. At this time, the DUH expanded its environmental education activities, produced and distributed information brochures on nature conservation and environmental protection topics, carried out door-to-door and street collections to support several hundred mainly local nature conservation and environmental protection projects each year, launched the Jugend erlebt Natur (Youth experiences nature) campaign and thus developed into an independent association. In 1990, the DUH announced its first nationwide competition for municipal environmental protection. The first recipient of the award Bundeshauptstadt für Natur- und Umweltschutz (Federal Capital for Nature and Environmental Protection) was the city of Erlangen. The DUH's international Lake Constance environmental protection project led to the establishment of the Bodensee-Stiftung für Natur und Kultur (Lake Constance Foundation for Nature and Culture) in 1994. Its main focus was on promoting sustainable management, for example in the form of environmentally friendly tourism, biotope protection, resource-saving transport, organic farming and the protection of Lake Constance as a drinking water reservoir. In 1998, with the participation of the DUH, the international environmental foundation Global Nature Fund (GNF) was established, which is an international foundation dedicated to the preservation of water ecosystems. The GNF's largest project is the Living Lakes network, which has over 112 partners worldwide and around 60 lakes in 2021.

In 2004, the Federal Administrative Court recognised the DUH as a consumer protection association with the right to take legal action. In 2008, the Federal Environment Agency recognised the association as an association with the right to take legal action under the Environmental Appeals Act.

In 2023, the DUH and the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz (BUND) won a case against the German government before the Berlin-Brandenburg Higher Administrative Court. The subject of the proceedings was the lack of immediate programmes that would have been necessary in the areas of transport and buildings in accordance with the Climate Protection Act.

Business activities within the framework of a limited liability company for the Federal Government

The DUH became part of a three-member consortium in the form of 'DUH Umweltschutz Service GmbH', which provides services for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWI). These services relate to communication in connection with the energy transition.

Industrial cooperation

In 2005, as part of its campaign to introduce diesel particulate filters, Kein Diesel ohne Filter (No diesel without filters), the DUH was criticised by the FDP for accepting donations from diesel soot filter manufacturers. On 4 April 2005, DUH Federal Executive Director Jürgen Resch admitted at a DUH press conference in Berlin that the DUH had collected over 100,000 euros from soot filter manufacturers. Since 2008, the Environmental Action Germany has supported model lawsuits brought by affected citizens in several cities, which have resulted in driving bans on diesel vehicles with high particle emissions. Since 2012, it has been able to pursue these lawsuits independently.

In February 2014, the DUH, together with two other institutions (Umweltbundesamt and RAL gGmbH), awarded the Blue Angel environmental label to Kat manufacturers LRT Automotive and HJS. In 2012, the DUH called on car parts dealers and repair shops to 'sell and install only Blue Angel catalytic converters or original parts.' The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung criticised the more than 20 years of cooperation with Toyota and sees the DUH's actions against diesel vehicles as favouring Toyota models. This claim is contradicted by the fact that the DUH also tested a Toyota diesel and declared the excessive exhaust emissions to be illegal. According to information provided by Federal Managing Director Jürgen Resch on 1 March 2018 on the talk show Maybrit Illner, Toyota's funding amounted to between 30,000 and 70,000 euros per year, with an annual budget of around 8.3 million euros. This would correspond to only 0.6 to 0.8 per cent. Furthermore, according to its own statements, the DUH filed 47 lawsuits against Toyota for violations of consumer law. The connection to Toyota was also the focus of proceedings before the Federal Court of Justice (BGH). All lower courts and the BGH found no conflict of interest. Furthermore, it could not be determined that Toyota was excluded from the DUH's campaigns.