Peruvian Farmer’s Climate Lawsuit Against RWE Enters Crucial Phase in German Court

The case seeks to hold the energy giant accountable for its role in climate change, alleging its emissions contributed to glacier melt threatening a community in Peru.

• Saul Luciano Lliuya, a farmer from Huaraz, Peru, is suing German energy company RWE for its historical greenhouse gas emissions, arguing they have increased flooding risks near his home.
• The lawsuit demands RWE pay a proportional share of the $3.5 million needed for flood defenses, based on its 0.47% contribution to global carbon emissions since the industrial era.
• The court in Hamm, Germany, is currently reviewing expert reports to determine whether melting glaciers linked to climate change pose a direct flooding risk to Lliuya's property.
• RWE denies responsibility, asserting that climate change is a global issue caused by many contributors and that holding a single emitter accountable is legally inadmissible.
• This case could set a global precedent for corporate accountability in climate change, potentially paving the way for similar lawsuits targeting major polluters.

5 Articles

The Japan Times Deutsche Welle