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Sunday 6 November 2016

Project Peru:The Case of Huaraz: Saúl versus RWE



A Peruvian farmer is demanding that the German energy company, RWE, pay compensation for its role in causing historical climate change. RWE is one of the “Carbon Majors” identified by research commissioned by the Climate Justice Programme and published in the journal Climatic Change. The plaintiff, Saul Luciano Lliuya, has demanded that RWE pay part of the costs for urgent protective measures as his home lies in the floodpath of the Palcacocha lake which is damming glacial melt-water upstream of his home in the town of Huaraz, in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, or white mountain range.

The lawsuit is the first of its kind in Europe. “This is a precedent. If the case goes through, it could lead to further lawsuits being brought against climate change contributors worldwide,” according to lawyer Roda Verheyen. “To meet legal standards, we must prove to the court that RWE does carry partial responsibility for the risk my client’s property is exposed to – and we will achieve this.”

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