Thirty-nine farmers in Sindh are seeking damages from RWE and Heidelberg Materials, arguing that the companies’ emissions contributed to losses during Pakistan’s 2022 floods.
The plaintiffs say the companies’ emissions helped worsen climate change and intensify the rain that damaged homes, crops and livestock, AFP reported. They estimate RWE accounted for 0.68% of global industrial emissions and Heidelberg Materials for 0.12%.
AFP reported that the floods affected 30 million people, covered about a third of Pakistan and killed 1,700. Abdul Khalique Laghari, a plaintiff, told AFP he still could not repay debt after losses he valued at $14,000. Those losses included his home, livestock and crops across 40 acres.
Munawar Khatoon, another plaintiff, said floodwater arrived shortly before the wheat harvest and submerged seeds that were her family’s main source of income. “This case is for justice,” Khatoon told AFP.
The farmers’ case follows an earlier lawsuit against RWE by a Peruvian farmer. German courts rejected his compensation claim but left open whether major emitters could be held liable, AFP reported, citing lawyer Roda Verheyen, who is involved in both cases.
Verheyen told AFP that the new lawsuit also accuses the companies of failing to meet their responsibilities. She said large firms had been aware of climate change’s broad effects since the 1960s and should have acted more forcefully to reduce emissions. Lawyers say a ruling that ties damages to a company’s share of emissions would be a major advance for climate claims against businesses, AFP reported. Such cases have mostly targeted governments, with only a small number of companies facing compensation claims.
Both companies called the claims “unfounded,” AFP reported. Heidelberg Materials told AFP its operations complied with German laws and said firms could not be expected to face different standards retroactively. RWE said the case sought to litigate climate-policy disputes in Germany.
AFP said the proceedings could continue for several years.
