BERLIN (AP) — German automaker Daimler earlier this month dismissed a “cease and desist” demand from two environmental groups to commit to ending the sale of combustion engine vehicles by 2030.

Lawyers for Greenpeace and the group Deutsche Umwelthilfe have threatened to sue Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen unless they sign a legal pledge not to put new gas-fueled vehicles onto the market from the end of this decade.

The groups argue that companies are bound by the same rules as governments when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change. The same lawyers successfully sued the German government earlier this year, forcing it to adjust its emissions reduction plans to shift more of the burden onto older generations.

In a letter addressed to Volkswagen, Greenpeace said it believes VW “poses a threat to the absolute rights, such as the property, health, and life of our clients” by being responsible for the release of large amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide.

Daimler said in a statement that it saw “no basis” for the groups’ demand. “If it comes to a lawsuit, we will use all legal means to defend ourselves,” the company said.

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