German court rules cities can ban diesel cars

A German court ruled that cities in the country can ban older diesel cars that cause more pollution, The Guardian reported Tuesday.

The court said that Stuttgart and Düsseldorf — two German cities suffering from high rates of pollution — could ban the vehicles.

The ruling will allow other cities in the country to implement similar bans.

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Environmental regulators had sued German cities, claiming that such a ban was required to cut down on pollution levels and protect people’s health, according to The Guardian.

The Guardian reported that the car industry had not yet responded to the ruling. Carmakers and the German government had spoken out against banning the vehicles, claiming that bans could cause diesel car values to plummet and block drivers from using cars they already own.

Other European countries have taken action against the vehicles, with both France and the United Kingdom announcing they would stop selling new gas and diesel cars by 2040.