German Researcher Wins Case After Climate-Conscious Firing
Gianluca Grimalda, a climate researcher, successfully sued the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) for unfair dismissal after being fired for refusing to fly home from a research trip in Papua New Guinea. The court ruled the termination was due to incompatible ideological convictions, awarding Grimalda an undisclosed settlement and exonerating him from any breach of contract. Grimalda’s lengthy, low-carbon return journey, which took 72 days, highlighted the conflict between professional demands and individual climate commitments. He plans to donate a significant portion of the settlement to environmental causes.
John Q. Hosedrinker