Pakistani Farmers Sue German Firms Over Climate Damages

News Desk 

Islamabad: A group of Pakistani farmers affected by the devastating 2022 floods has initiated legal action against two of Germany’s largest industrial companies — energy firm RWE and cement producer Heidelberg — seeking €1 million in climate-related damages, The Guardian reported.

Lawyers representing 43 farmers from Sindh have sent formal legal notices to both companies, expressing their intent to file lawsuits later this year if compensation is not offered.

The farmers allege that their land remained submerged for over a year following the catastrophic floods that inundated one-third of Pakistan in 2022, killing more than 1,700 people, displacing 33 million, and causing an estimated $30 billion in economic losses. Sindh was among the worst-hit regions, where the farmers reportedly lost at least two consecutive rice and wheat harvests.

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According to data from the Climate Accountability Institute cited by The Guardian, RWE is linked to 0.68% of global industrial greenhouse gas emissions since 1965, while Heidelberg is responsible for around 0.12%.

“Those who cause the damage should also pay for it,” said Abdul Hafeez Khoso, one of the claimants. “We have contributed the least to the climate crisis, yet we are losing our homes and livelihoods while corporations in the wealthy north continue to profit.”

RWE said it could not comment without additional details, while Heidelberg confirmed receipt of the legal notice and said it was reviewing the matter.

The move marks part of a growing wave of international climate litigation, as communities in the Global South seek accountability from major polluters. Last week, typhoon survivors in the Philippines announced a lawsuit against Shell in a UK court, while in September, Swiss courts heard a case brought by residents of Indonesia’s Pulau Pari against Swiss cement firm Holcim.