Peruvian Farmer’s Climate Lawsuit Against RWE Reaches Critical Phase

The case, which could set a global precedent for corporate climate liability, examines RWE's role in glacial melting threatening Saúl Luciano Lliuya's home.

Saúl Luciano Lliuya, a Peruvian farmer, is suing RWE for 0.47% of the costs to protect his community from flooding caused by the Palcacocha glacier lake's expansion.
The Oberlandesgericht Hamm is hearing expert testimony on the likelihood of flooding and whether RWE's emissions are a measurable contributing cause.
Expert opinions on flood risk diverge, with estimates ranging from 1–3% to over 30%, highlighting scientific disputes over methodology and climate impact analysis.
A 2021 study in Nature Geoscience supports a causal link between human-induced climate change and the glacier's melting, strengthening Lliuya’s case.
RWE argues it has not broken any laws and warns that a ruling against it could create a dangerous precedent for similar lawsuits globally.