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Ten youths challenged the State of Brandenburg for failing to set climate protection goals and emission reduction paths, arguing this violated German constitutional law and endangered future generations. The Federal Constitutional Court rejected the claims on 18 January 2022, ruling that it was not possible to determine the extent of the state legislature's power to prevent future rights violations, noting a lack of federal specifications on state-level emission budgets and the limited influence of states in climate protection areas managed by the federal government.

Ten youth plaintiffs challenged the State of Bavaria's climate legislation, arguing that inadequate greenhouse gas reduction pathways violated their constitutional rights to freedom, life, and physical integrity. The Federal Constitutional Court of Germany rejected the claims on 18 January 2022, ruling that it was not possible to determine the specific extent of the state legislature's power to prevent future rights violations, partly because the federal government had not provided specific requirements for state-level emission reductions.

Ten youth claimants filed a complaint against the State of Hessen in September 2021, arguing that the lack of a contemporary climate legislature and specific greenhouse gas reduction paths violated their fundamental rights and future freedoms. They contended that the state failed to implement measures to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 and did not specify permissible emission quantities. On 18 January 2022, the Federal Constitutional Court dismissed the case, ruling that there was no violation of the claimants' rights under the Basic Law, noting that federal law's sectoral control approach made vertical coordination between the federal government and states less critical.

The document examines why many countries have integrated climate adaptation into policy documents without translating these plans into concrete projects. It identifies key barriers including lack of finance, technical knowledge limitations, and insufficient political will. By analyzing 'early movers'—Afghanistan, Colombia, Germany, India, and Rwanda—the paper highlights five critical success factors: sustained political leadership, legally binding policy mandates, inter-agency coordination, access to tailored information, and supportive budgetary processes.