Amid a rise in environmental pledges, the case of a German economist and climate change activist who was fired for refusing to travel by air has been closely watched by employment experts. But even though the plaintiff lost his appeal against dismissal, employers would be wise to take stock of their environmental policies.

After seven months researching climate breakdown in Bougainville, an autonomous region off the coast of Papua New Guinea, Dr Gianluca Grimalda was given five days to return home by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW).