A group of Pakistani farmers whose livelihoods were devastated by floods three years ago has initiated legal action against two of Germany's most polluting companies. Lawyers for 43 farmers from the Sindh region sent formal letters before action to energy firm RWE and cement producer Heidelberg Materials on Tuesday, warning of their intention to sue later this year.
Pakistan was the nation most affected by extreme weather events in 2022, according to the global Climate Risk Index. That summer, extreme rains flooded one-third of the country, killing at least 1,700 people, displacing 33 million, destroying vast tracts of farmland and causing economic losses of up to $30bn. The Sindh region bore the heaviest toll, with many districts remaining underwater for over a year. The claimants lost at least two rice and wheat harvests and estimate total damage at €1m.
RWE and Heidelberg Materials are two of Germany's most polluting companies. According to new figures from the Climate Accountability Institute, RWE is responsible for 0.68% of global industrial greenhouse gas emissions since 1965, and Heidelberg for at least 0.12%. “Those who cause the damage should also pay for it,” said Abdul Hafeez Khoso, a landowner and teacher from northern Sindh and one of the claimants. “We, who have contributed the least to the climate crisis, are losing our homes and livelihoods while corporations in the wealthy north continue to make profits.”
An RWE spokesperson said: “As we have no further information beyond that reported in the media, we are unable to comment at this time.” A Heidelberg spokesperson said: “We confirm that we have today received a letter from a law firm requesting compensation for alleged climate-related damage. We are currently reviewing this letter.”
The move is part of a new wave of cross-border climate damages litigation. Last week, typhoon survivors in the Philippines announced they would sue Shell in UK court. In September, a court in Switzerland held its first hearing on a claim against Holcim by four inhabitants of the Indonesian island of Pulau Pari. The legal team in the Pakistan case hopes to build on a failed climate lawsuit earlier this year, where a judge confirmed that companies could theoretically be held liable for climate damages in German civil proceedings.
By bringing a claim about past harm, the farmers aim to overcome evidentiary hurdles. They will submit studies showing the impact of anthropogenic climate change on rainfall patterns, including the 2022 Pakistan floods. Clara Gonzales of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, which is also supporting the Holcim case, said: “The climate crisis is no longer a theoretical threat; it is a present reality. Diplomacy may have failed affected communities, but the rule of law should be on their side.”
