The Peruvian farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya has observed how Lake Palcacocha grows every year in Huaraz. This situation has caused the farmer issue for the overflow of the lake and ends affecting his community. However, instead of resigning, he has decided to take those responsible for this situation to court.
An unprecedented case. Saul Luciano Lliuya has sued the RWE energy company before the German courts. In its demand, Lliuya has argued that this company is the one that emits the most issues contributing to climate change, accelerating the melting of glaciers in its hometown, putting its habitability at risk, as Associated Press has collected.
The demand. Supported by the Germanwatch activist group, the Peruvian farmer wants RWE to pay around 17,000 euros (18,520 dollars) for a flood defense project, as reported by Reuters.
10 years ago. The filing of the lawsuit was in 2015 in Germany and, two years later, the courts accepted it, according to EFE. During all these years, evidence has been collected to determine whether there is a direct relationship between RWE emissions and the risk of flooding in Huaraz. In addition, the trial has prolonged because the German company has used legal strategies, arguing that the responsibility for climate change cannot be attributed to a single issuer, as they have explained to Associated Press.
The defendant. The energy company has denied its responsibility on multiple occasions. From the company, they have affirmed for DW that climate change is a global problem caused by multiple factors and that it is not possible to legally attribute its effects to a single entity. In addition, for the same medium, they have declared that if there is such claim according to German legislation, all drivers should also be considered responsible, and that it is a socio -political error.
The evaluations. Among the collection of information that is being gathered for the trial, there is a 2014 study conducted by Greenpeace and the Climate Justice Program, in which they held RWE for 0.47% of global greenhouse gases global emissions since the beginning of industrialization. In addition, different researchers have shown that greenhouse gas emissions have a direct impact on the melting of glaciers in the Andes, as they have detailed in The Guardian.
Regarding the glacier, this has been melting in these last 36 years for climate change, according to a study by Nature magazine. Although this is not the only evidence, another scientific research has shown that the water level in Lake Palcacoha has increased since 1990. This situation can raise the risk of an avalanche, similar to that devastated by Huaraz in 1941 and caused the death of 1,800 people.
The beginning of the trial. On Monday, March 17, the trial began and, as EFE has advanced, the lawyer of Lliuya, Roda Verheyen, explained that if sentence is issued in the next session, scheduled for April 14, the necessary precedent will be obtained to go after other great pollutants.
Image | Pxhere
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