A court in Germany has rejected a lawsuit brought by a Peruvian farmer against German energy giant RWE in a long-awaited decision. Saúl Luciano Lliuya argued that the firm’s global emissions contributed to the melting of glaciers in Peru, threatening his hometown of Huaraz with flooding. He was seeking €17,000 (£14,250) in compensation – money he said he would use to pay for a flood defence project to protect the city. RWE said it was not active in Peru and questioned why it was singled out, and judges ruled that the risk of flooding was not sufficiently high enough for the case to proceed. However, activists have claimed it as an indirect win, arguing that the court did uphold the concept that major emitting companies could be held responsible for the costs caused by their carbon emissions, even if located in another country. The decision also affirms that climate science can provide a basis for legal liability.
