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Deutsche Umwelthilfe

DUH Finds Up to 2.7M German Cars Fitted With Fake Catalytic Converters

DUH Finds Up to 2.7M German Cars Fitted With Fake Catalytic Converters

Berlin – September 10, 2026 -- German environmental group Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) has accused auto parts retailers and workshop chains of selling substandard replacement catalytic converters that leave up to 2.7 million gasoline vehicles with insufficient exhaust cleaning.

Lab tests find near-zero precious metal coating in five new replacement converters

Laboratory analysis commissioned by DUH on five new aftermarket catalytic converters found precious metal content approaching zero in nearly all units tested, undermining the long-term effectiveness of exhaust cleaning. Citing data from Germany's Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), DUH said the majority of the roughly 300,000 replacement catalytic converters sold annually in Germany are substandard, prompting its conservative estimate of up to 2.7 million affected gasoline vehicles.

DUH, Architects for Future Rally 70 Groups Against German Demolitions

DUH, Architects for Future Rally 70 Groups Against German Demolitions

Berlin – September 10, 2026 -- Germany's Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) will lead a coalition of more than 70 organizations in a protest outside Berlin's Rotes Rathaus on September 10, 2026, demanding that state building ministers halt what the group calls the country's "demolition mania" ahead of the Bauministerkonferenz.

Official data shows 12,000 buildings demolished annually in Germany
DUH cites government statistics recording 12,000 building demolitions per year nationwide, while independent estimates suggest the true figure could be up to four times higher. Each avoidable demolition destroys embedded "grey" greenhouse gas emissions already locked into structures, along with recoverable building materials and raw resources, according to the coalition.