Peruvian Farmer’s Climate Lawsuit Against RWE Reaches Key Hearing in Germany

Saúl Luciano Lliuya seeks to hold RWE accountable for its role in climate change, citing threats to his home from a melting glacier in the Andes.

Saúl Luciano Lliuya, a Peruvian farmer and mountain guide, has filed a lawsuit against German energy giant RWE, claiming its CO2 emissions contribute to glacier melt threatening his home near Huaraz, Peru.
The case, filed in 2015, seeks to make RWE pay a proportional share—approximately 0.5%—of the costs for protective measures against potential flooding from the Palcacocha glacial lake.
The Oberlandesgericht Hamm in Germany is resuming hearings this week, focusing on expert reports assessing the flood risk to Lliuya’s property and the broader region.
Expert opinions diverge sharply, with court-appointed scientists estimating a flood risk below 3%, while Lliuya’s team argues it is closer to 30%, citing additional factors like permafrost-related rockfalls.
The case is seen as a potential precedent for holding major polluters accountable for climate-related damages, with support from environmental advocacy group Germanwatch.