Overview
- Judges in the canton of Zug accepted a case brought by four residents of the low-lying Indonesian island Pari against cement maker Holcim, marking the first time a Swiss court has allowed an overseas climate claim against a multinational.
- The plaintiffs allege Holcim’s CO2 emissions contribute to rising seas that flood their island and they seek court‑mandated emission cuts, funding for adaptation measures on Pari, and roughly €15,000 in compensation.
- The court cited the plaintiffs’ “urgent and current” interest in emission reductions and, according to supporting NGOs, held that judicial decisions do not replace climate policy but can contribute to addressing harm.
- Holcim said it will appeal the admissibility decision and argued that questions over allowable emissions belong to legislators, while pointing to emissions reductions to date and a 2050 climate‑neutral materials goal.
- Pari sits about 1.5 meters above sea level, has roughly 1,500 residents, and has suffered severe floods, placing the case within a broader wave of climate litigation that has seen mixed results in the Netherlands and Germany.