Pakistani farmers sue RWE and Heidelberg Materials in Germany over flood losses

Two Pakistani farmers whose crops, homes and livestock were hit by the 2022 floods have taken a damages claim to courts in Germany against the energy company RWE and the cement maker Heidelberg Materials, arguing that firms should pay for climate losses in proportion to their greenhouse gas emissions.

Roda Verheyen, a German lawyer involved in both this case and an earlier one against RWE, said the new suit goes further because it accuses the companies of failing to cut emissions despite knowing about climate change for decades. She said major corporations had been aware of the wider consequences of global warming since the 1960s and should have acted on that knowledge.

The claim builds on German litigation brought by a Peruvian farmer against RWE over climate risks to his property. That compensation claim was rejected, but the proceedings left open the possibility that large emitters could be held legally responsible for climate damage.

Munawar Khatoon, 43, a landowner from Usman Samtio village, is one of the claimants. She said the floods destroyed her family's main source of income when wheat seed was submerged shortly before harvest, and that repeated extreme rainfall has left the family uncertain whether younger generations can keep the land.

Abdul Khalique Laghari, 55, from Dadu district, said his family is still repaying debts built up after the disaster. He put his losses at about $14,000, including his home, 40 acres of farmland and livestock, and said creditors keep pressing for repayment.

Both companies reject the allegations. Heidelberg Materials said its operations complied with German law and that businesses should not be judged retrospectively against standards that did not apply at the time. RWE said companies should not face retrospective civil liability for emissions that governments had permitted under existing regulations.

The 2022 floods submerged large parts of Pakistan, killed around 1,700 people and affected about 30 million, according to figures cited in the reports. Pakistan produces less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is counted among the countries most exposed to climate change.

Most climate litigation worldwide has targeted governments rather than companies. Only a small number of corporations, among them Shell and Holcim, have faced suits seeking compensation for climate-related damage.

The German case is expected to go through lengthy civil proceedings, with a final decision possible only after several years.