German court throws out Peruvian farmer's climate case against RWE
View of Palcacocha Lake, 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
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, poses for a photo in front of Lake Palcacocha, before the verdict of the high regional German court in Hamm, in Huaraz, Peru May 27, 2025. REUTERS/Angela Ponce
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, poses for a photo in front of glacier Palcaraju, before the verdict of the high regional German court in Hamm, in Huaraz, Peru May 27, 2025. REUTERS/Angela Ponce
View of Palcacocha Lake, 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
HAMM, Germany - A German court on Wednesday threw out a Peruvian farmer's lawsuit seeking damages from RWE for the German energy utility's alleged role in putting his home at risk through climate change.
The court said no appeal was possible in the decade-old case of farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya claiming that RWE's emissions have contributed to the melting of Andean glaciers and to higher flood risk to his home.
Using data from the Carbon Majors database which tracks historic emissions from major fossil fuel producers, Lliuya has said that RWE is responsible for nearly 0.5% of global man-made emissions since the industrial revolution and must pay a proportional share of the costs needed to adapt to climate change.
For a $3.5 million flood defence project needed in his region, RWE's share would be around $17,500, according to Lliuya's calculations.
The 44-year-old farmer, whose family grows corn, wheat, barley and potatoes in a hilly region outside Huaraz, has said he chose to sue RWE because it is one of the biggest polluters in Europe - rather than any particular company projects near his home.
RWE, which is phasing out its coal-fired power plants, has said a single emitter of carbon dioxide cannot be held responsible for global warming. REUTERS
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