Latest news with #HigherRegionalCourtofHamm
Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
German court to rule on Peruvian farmer versus RWE climate case
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 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 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 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 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 A German court is due to decide on Wednesday whether a lawsuit brought by a Peruvian farmer against German energy giant RWE can continue, in a landmark case that is setting a precedent for future climate change litigation. In a case that began a decade ago, farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya argues that RWE's emissions have contributed to the melting of Andean glaciers, increasing the flood risk to his home. Using data from the Carbon Majors database, which tracks historic emissions from major fossil fuel producers, Lliuya says 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, says he has chosen 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, says a single emitter of carbon dioxide cannot be held responsible for global warming. In two days of hearing in March, the Higher Regional Court of Hamm examined a 200-page report by experts it had appointed to determine whether melting glaciers were raising the water levels in Lake Palcacocha and posing a direct risk to Lliuya's home in Huaraz over the next three decades. Lliuya's lawyer Roda Verheyen in March raised concerns about the assessment of risks by the court experts, who found a 3% flood risk, and said she was ready to challenge their findings. The verdict was originally due in April, but the court had to postpone it because Verheyen filed a motion to disqualify one of the court's experts. Verheyen said the arguments were clear. "In my view, we cannot lose," she told a media briefing last Thursday. The amount that industrialised countries should contribute to mitigating the effects of global warming, including rising sea levels, extreme storms and heatwaves, has been fiercely debated at successive U.N. climate summits. If the court on Wednesday finds a specific flooding risk to Lliuya's home, it will then examine the impact of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions on Andean glaciers melting and increasing the risk. Whatever the outcome on Wednesday, climate academics said the case was a game-changer as the court's legal reasoning would be used by future cases. "Even if the case is dismissed, we expect to get this legal precedent, which would be a massive step forward," Noah Walker-Crawford, a researcher at London School of Economics Grantham Research Institute, said. REUTERS Find out more about climate change and how it could affect you on the ST microsite here.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
German court to rule on Peruvian farmer versus RWE climate case
By Riham Alkousaa (Reuters) -A German court is due to decide on Wednesday whether a lawsuit brought by a Peruvian farmer against German energy giant RWE can continue, in a landmark case that is setting a precedent for future climate change litigation. In a case that began a decade ago, farmer Saul Luciano Lliuya argues that RWE's emissions have contributed to the melting of Andean glaciers, increasing the flood risk to his home. Using data from the Carbon Majors database, which tracks historic emissions from major fossil fuel producers, Lliuya says 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, says he has chosen 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, says a single emitter of carbon dioxide cannot be held responsible for global warming. In two days of hearing in March, the Higher Regional Court of Hamm examined a 200-page report by experts it had appointed to determine whether melting glaciers were raising the water levels in Lake Palcacocha and posing a direct risk to Lliuya's home in Huaraz over the next three decades. Lliuya's lawyer Roda Verheyen in March raised concerns about the assessment of risks by the court experts, who found a 3% flood risk, and said she was ready to challenge their findings. The verdict was originally due in April, but the court had to postpone it because Verheyen filed a motion to disqualify one of the court's experts. Verheyen said the arguments were clear. "In my view, we cannot lose," she told a media briefing last Thursday. The amount that industrialised countries should contribute to mitigating the effects of global warming, including rising sea levels, extreme storms and heatwaves, has been fiercely debated at successive U.N. climate summits. If the court on Wednesday finds a specific flooding risk to Lliuya's home, it will then examine the impact of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions on Andean glaciers melting and increasing the risk. Whatever the outcome on Wednesday, climate academics said the case was a game-changer as the court's legal reasoning would be used by future cases. "Even if the case is dismissed, we expect to get this legal precedent, which would be a massive step forward," Noah Walker-Crawford, a researcher at London School of Economics Grantham Research Institute, said. ($1 = 0.8809 euros)
Japan Times
18-03-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Facing glacial melt-water flood risk, Peruvian farmer tests global climate law
In the high Andes of northern Peru, the morning sun rises over glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca mountains that loom above the city of Huaraz, an awe-inspiring sight tainted by fears of a growing threat of meltwater floods. The glaciers are at the center of a landmark global case that will test the legal culpability of corporations over their greenhouse gas emissions and the role these play in climate change, which is leading to more extreme weather around the world. Saul Luciano Lliuya, a Huaraz farmer and mountain guide, is suing German energy firm RWE, demanding that it help pay for defenses and flood mitigation for the city, tied to the company's share of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions that he alleges have led to faster-melting glaciers. In the case, which began Monday at the Higher Regional Court of Hamm in Germany, lawyers for Lliuya are expected to allege that RWE is responsible for 0.5% of global emissions and should therefore pay 0.5%, or some €17,000 ($18,500) of a local $3.5 million flood defense project. "We didn't start out with a lot of hope, but now it's caused a lot of attention," Lliuya said near his home in a hilly region outside Huaraz where he grows corn. Lliuya, who is backed by Germanwatch, an activist group that advocates for the environment and other issues, said he wants to set a precedent for polluting companies to pay for projects that mitigate the impact of climate change. "The company has polluted and it should take responsibility for its emissions," he said. RWE says the complaint is unfounded and that a single emitter cannot be held responsible for global warming. "This lawsuit is an attempt to set a precedent whereby every single emitter of greenhouse gases in Germany could be held legally responsible for the effects of climate change worldwide," the firm said in a statement. "We believe that this is legally inadmissible and also the wrong approach from a socio-political perspective." The case, which is based on a section of the German civil law code relating to property interference, was dismissed by a lower court and appealed by Lliuya to the higher court in Hamm. Saul Luciano Lliuya tends to his corn crops in Huaraz, Peru, on March 1. | REUTERS In the mountains above Huaraz, glacier melt-water has swollen Lake Palcacocha, the volume of which grew 34 times larger from 1974 to 2016. That creates a threat for Huaraz, which has a population of over 65,000 — significantly larger than when the last major flooding disaster struck in 1941. "The river is always growing, who wouldn't be afraid?" said Nestor Acuna, a Huaraz resident who lives near the Quilcay river that could burst its banks if Lake Palcacocha overflows. "Sometimes we have family over and when it's the rainy season we're afraid the river will overflow or there will be a landslide," he added. In mid-March, the government had shut down roads around the lake due to a landslide and rains. The lake is closely monitored by authorities, and a dam and drainage pipes have been installed to lower its water levels, but some government officials say more infrastructure is needed to protect Huaraz. Peru is home to nearly 70% of the world's tropical glaciers, considered at high risk due to being constantly near or at melting temperature. They play a key role in water supply, storing snowfall during colder months and providing water in summer. Peru's latest glacier inventory in 2023 showed the country had lost over half its glaciers in the last six decades due to climate change. The Ancash, the region in which Huaraz is located, has 26 lagoons that present a flooding risk, the report found. The Cordillera Blanca, popular for hiking and mountaineering, has experienced rapid glacial retreat and increasingly dangerous conditions. "The glacial melt is really visible — every year you visit the glacier is retreating even more," Lliuya said. As well as the flooding risk, in the longer term that would lead to drinking-water supply problems, he added. "It worries us, saddens us, that we're losing our glaciers." Roda Verheyen, Lliuya's lawyer, said being able to present their findings made the case already a win, no matter the outcome. "Even if we lose ... we will finally get all the reasoning, I hope," she told reporters at a briefing. "That means that we can actually build on that in further cases, either us directly or other people."
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Citing melting glaciers, Peruvian farmer tests global climate law
By Alfredo Galarza, Alexander Villegas and Riham Alkousaa HUARAZ, Peru (Reuters) - In the high Andes of northern Peru, the morning sun rises over glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca mountains that loom above the city of Huaraz, an awe-inspiring sight tainted by fears of a growing threat of meltwater floods. The glaciers are at the center of a landmark global case that will test the legal culpability of corporations over their greenhouse gas emissions and the role these play in climate change that is leading to more extreme weather around the world. Saul Luciano Lliuya, a Huaraz farmer and mountain guide, is suing German energy firm RWE, demanding that it help pay for defenses and flood mitigation for the city, tied to the company's share of global manmade greenhouse gas emissions that he alleges have led to faster-melting glaciers. The case will start on Monday at the Higher Regional Court of Hamm in Germany, with lawyers for Lliuya alleging RWE is responsible for 0.5% of global emissions and should therefore pay 0.5%, or some 17,000 euros ($18,500) of a local $3.5 million flood defense project. "We didn't start out with a lot of hope, but now it's caused a lot of attention," Lliuya told Reuters near his home in a hilly region outside Huaraz where he grows corn. Lliuya, who is backed by Germanwatch, an activist group that advocates for the environment and other issues, said he wants to set a precedent for polluting companies to pay for projects that mitigate the impact of climate change. "The company has polluted and it should take responsibility for its emissions," he said. RWE says the complaint is unfounded and that a single emitter cannot be held responsible for global warming. "This lawsuit is an attempt to set a precedent whereby every single emitter of greenhouse gases in Germany could be held legally responsible for the effects of climate change worldwide," the firm said in a statement. "We believe that this is legally inadmissible and also the wrong approach from a socio-political perspective." The case, which is based on a section of the German civil law code relating to property interference, was dismissed by a lower court and appealed by Lliuya to the higher court in Hamm. 'RIVER IS ALWAYS GROWING' In the mountains above Huaraz, glacier meltwater has swollen Lake Palcacocha, whose volume grew 34 times from 1974 to 2016. That creates a threat for Huaraz, which has a population of over 65,000, significantly larger than when the last major flooding disaster struck in 1941. "The river is always growing, who wouldn't be afraid?" said Nestor Acuna, a Huaraz resident who lives near the Quilcay river that could burst its banks if Lake Palcacocha overflows. "Sometimes we have family over and when it's the rainy season we're afraid the river will overflow or there will be a landslide," he added. When Reuters spoke to Acuna in mid-March, the government had shut down roads around the lake due to a landslide and rains. The lake is closely monitored by authorities, and a dam and drainage pipes have been installed to lower its water levels, but some government officials say more infrastructure is needed to protect Huaraz. Peru is home to nearly 70% of the world's tropical glaciers, considered at high risk due to being constantly near or at melting temperature. They play a key role in water supply, storing snowfall during colder months and providing water in summer. Peru's latest glacier inventory in 2023 showed the country had lost over half its glaciers in the last six decades due to climate change. The Ancash, the region Huaraz is located in, has 26 lagoons that present a flooding risk, the report found. The Cordillera Blanca, popular for hiking and mountaineering, has experienced rapid glacial retreat and increasingly dangerous conditions. "The glacial melt is really visible, every year you visit the glacier is retreating even more," Lliuya said. As well as the flooding risk, in the longer term that would lead to drinking-water supply problems, he said. "It worries us, saddens us, that we're losing our glaciers." Roda Verheyen, Lliuya's lawyer, said being able to present their findings made the case already a win, no matter the outcome. "Even if we lose... we will finally get all the reasoning, I hope," she told reporters at a briefing. "That means that we can actually build on that in further cases, either us directly or other people." ($1 = 0.9189 euros)
Reuters
15-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Citing melting glaciers, Peruvian farmer tests global climate law
HUARAZ, Peru, March 15 (Reuters) - In the high Andes of northern Peru, the morning sun rises over glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca mountains that loom above the city of Huaraz, an awe-inspiring sight tainted by fears of a growing threat of meltwater floods. The glaciers are at the center of a landmark global case that will test the legal culpability of corporations over their greenhouse gas emissions and the role these play in climate change that is leading to more extreme weather around the world. Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here. Saul Luciano Lliuya, a Huaraz farmer and mountain guide, is suing German energy firm RWE ( opens new tab, demanding that it help pay for defenses and flood mitigation for the city, tied to the company's share of global manmade greenhouse gas emissions that he alleges have led to faster-melting glaciers. The case will start on Monday at the Higher Regional Court of Hamm in Germany, with lawyers for Lliuya alleging RWE is responsible for 0.5% of global emissions and should therefore pay 0.5%, or some 17,000 euros ($18,500) of a local $3.5 million flood defense project. "We didn't start out with a lot of hope, but now it's caused a lot of attention," Lliuya told Reuters near his home in a hilly region outside Huaraz where he grows corn. Lliuya, who is backed by Germanwatch, an activist group that advocates for the environment and other issues, said he wants to set a precedent for polluting companies to pay for projects that mitigate the impact of climate change. "The company has polluted and it should take responsibility for its emissions," he said. RWE says the complaint is unfounded and that a single emitter cannot be held responsible for global warming. "This lawsuit is an attempt to set a precedent whereby every single emitter of greenhouse gases in Germany could be held legally responsible for the effects of climate change worldwide," the firm said in a statement. "We believe that this is legally inadmissible and also the wrong approach from a socio-political perspective." The case, which is based on a section of the German civil law code relating to property interference, was dismissed by a lower court and appealed by Lliuya to the higher court in Hamm. 'RIVER IS ALWAYS GROWING' In the mountains above Huaraz, glacier meltwater has swollen Lake Palcacocha, whose volume grew 34 times from 1974 to 2016. That creates a threat for Huaraz, which has a population of over 65,000, significantly larger than when the last major flooding disaster struck in 1941. "The river is always growing, who wouldn't be afraid?" said Nestor Acuna, a Huaraz resident who lives near the Quilcay river that could burst its banks if Lake Palcacocha overflows. "Sometimes we have family over and when it's the rainy season we're afraid the river will overflow or there will be a landslide," he added. When Reuters spoke to Acuna in mid-March, the government had shut down roads around the lake due to a landslide and rains. The lake is closely monitored by authorities, and a dam and drainage pipes have been installed to lower its water levels, but some government officials say more infrastructure is needed to protect Huaraz. Peru is home to nearly 70% of the world's tropical glaciers, considered at high risk due to being constantly near or at melting temperature. They play a key role in water supply, storing snowfall during colder months and providing water in summer. Peru's latest glacier inventory in 2023 showed the country had lost over half its glaciers in the last six decades due to climate change. The Ancash, the region Huaraz is located in, has 26 lagoons that present a flooding risk, the report found. The Cordillera Blanca, popular for hiking and mountaineering, has experienced rapid glacial retreat and increasingly dangerous conditions. "The glacial melt is really visible, every year you visit the glacier is retreating even more," Lliuya said. As well as the flooding risk, in the longer term that would lead to drinking-water supply problems, he said. "It worries us, saddens us, that we're losing our glaciers." Roda Verheyen, Lliuya's lawyer, said being able to present their findings made the case already a win, no matter the outcome. "Even if we lose... we will finally get all the reasoning, I hope," she told reporters at a briefing. "That means that we can actually build on that in further cases, either us directly or other people." ($1 = 0.9189 euros)
