Can fossil fuel companies finally be held responsible for the damage their business models cause?
In Germany, a landmark climate case is set to be decided later this month. It started 10 years ago, when Peruvian farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya began suing German energy giant RWE, saying that the firm’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions makes it liable for a proportion of the increased flood risk at his property.
Whether or not his case proceeds to the next step, where the court would assess whether RWE’s contribution to flood risk is legally significant, is almost irrelevant. It has…
