German Court Throws Out Peruvian Farmer’s Climate Case Against RWE

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.

Read more: Peruvian Farmer Takes Germany’s RWE to Court in Landmark Climate Case

For a $3.5 million flood defense 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.

(Reporting by Elke Ahlswede and Riham Alkousaa; writing by Ludwig Burger; editing by Rachel More)