Pakistani farmers in long fight to make German firms pay for flood damage
The litigation argues the firms' emissions contributed to climate change and turbo-charged rain that wiped out farmers' crops, livestock and homes.
In a Pakistani village, Abdul Hafeez Khoso recalls the sprawling industrial zones he visited in Germany for a groundbreaking climate legal case. The 43-year-old farmer and 38 others from Sindh province are suing German energy firm RWE and cement maker Heidelberg Materials for damages incurred during the 2022 apocalyptic floods. The lawsuit seeks to hold major polluters accountable for the climate impacts they contributed to through their emissions.
Both companies deny any wrongdoing, estimating their contributions to global industrial emissions at 0.68 percent and 0.12 percent, respectively. The lawsuit is backed by Pakistani and European organizations aiming to secure compensation and advance international efforts to extract climate damages from corporations. The case follows a recent legal ruling in Germany that permitted such suits, which some argue sets a precedent for holding emitters liable for climate-related damages.
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