Flood 2022: Pakistani farmers seek justice from German polluters

Islamabad: A group of Pakistani farmers whose lands were destroyed in the 2022 floods is preparing to take legal action against two of Germany’s largest greenhouse gas emitters — RWE and Heidelberg — The Guardian has reported.

Lawyers representing 43 farmers from Sindh have issued formal legal notices to both companies, signalling their intention to file lawsuits later this year. The farmers allege that the operations of these companies have contributed to global climate change, which in turn intensified the catastrophic floods that devastated Pakistan in 2022.

The floods submerged nearly one-third of the country, killing more than 1,700 people, displacing around 33 million, and causing economic losses estimated at up to USD 30 billion. Sindh was among the worst-hit provinces, where floodwaters persisted for over a year, destroying homes and farmland.

The affected farmers claim they lost at least two crop cycles — rice and wheat — and have estimated their total damages at about €1 million. They are demanding that RWE and Heidelberg acknowledge their role in the climate crisis and provide compensation for the losses. If the companies fail to respond positively, the farmers plan to formally file their case in December.

According to the Climate Accountability Institute, RWE has been linked to 0.68% of global industrial greenhouse gas emissions since 1965, while Heidelberg is associated with at least 0.12%.

“Those who cause the damage should also pay for it,” claimant Abdul Hafeez Khoso told The Guardian. “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.”

In response, RWE stated that it could not comment without receiving further information, while Heidelberg confirmed that it had received the legal notice and was reviewing it.

This case forms part of a growing trend of cross-border climate litigation, as communities in the Global South increasingly turn to courts to hold corporations in developed nations accountable for environmental harm. Similar cases have recently been filed, including one by typhoon survivors in the Philippines against Shell in a UK court, and another by residents of Pulau Pari, Indonesia, against Swiss cement company Holcim.