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yesterday

German Appeals Court Dismisses Peruvian Farmer’s Decade-Long Lawsuit Against RWE

The Hamm court held that RWE cannot be held liable for historical emissions, declaring the verdict final.

Peruvian farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya, who is suing German energy utility RWE, arguing that the company's emissions have contributed to the melting of Andean glaciers, stands by Lake Palcacocha, before the verdict of the high regional German court in Hamm, in Huaraz, Peru May 27, 2025. REUTERS/Angela Ponce/File Photo
View of the discharge pipes in Lake Palcacocha, in Huaraz, Peru May 27, 2025. Peruvian farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya, who is suing German energy utility RWE, arguing that the company’s emissions have contributed to the melting of Andean glaciers. REUTERS/Angela Ponce
View of the discharge pipes in Lake Palcacocha, in Huaraz, Peru May 27, 2025. Peruvian farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya, who is suing German energy utility RWE, arguing that the company’s emissions have contributed to the melting of Andean glaciers. REUTERS/Angela Ponce/File Photo
Peruvian farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya, who is suing German energy utility RWE, arguing that the company's emissions have contributed to the melting of Andean glaciers, walks in front of Palcacocha Lake, before the verdict of the high regional German court in Hamm, in Huaraz, Peru May 27, 2025. REUTERS/Angela Ponce/File Photo

Overview

  • On May 28, 2025, the Higher Regional Court in Hamm ruled that Lliuya’s case against RWE is inadmissible, ending a ten-year legal battle.
  • Judges concluded that available evidence failed to prove a legal link between RWE’s approximate 0.4% contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and a specific flood threat at Lliuya’s Huaraz property.
  • The verdict is final with no avenue for appeal under German law, bringing closure to a landmark climate lawsuit.
  • Lliuya had sought a proportional share of about €17,000 toward a $3.5 million flood defence project to protect his Andean community from a glacial lake outburst.
  • Supporters, including environmental NGO Germanwatch, say the court’s reasoning establishes principles that could inform some 40 ongoing climate liability cases worldwide.