Since 1994, Article 20a of the Basic Law has said: Der Staat schützt auch in Verantwortung für die künftigen Generationen die natürlichen Lebensgrundlagen, the state protects the natural foundations of life, also in its responsibility for future generations. On 24 March 2021, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled that the Climate Protection Act was partly unconstitutional. The act set no adequate reductions for the years after 2030. The emissions it allowed until 2030 would therefore greatly reduce the room left after 2030. The court called for a verhältnismäßige Verteilung von Freiheitschancen über die Generationen, a proportionate distribution of opportunities for freedom across the generations. On 12 May 2021, the cabinet brought the target for climate neutrality forward from 2050 to 2045.