Dozens of farmers from Sindh have filed a lawsuit in Germany against two major industrial companies, alleging their greenhouse gas emissions contributed to the devastating 2022 floods in Pakistan, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
The case involves 39 farmers, including Inayatullah Laghari from Dadu district, one of the areas worst affected by the floods. The 2022 disaster displaced around 30 million people, killed more than 1,700, and caused an estimated $40 billion in damages nationwide.
The lawsuit has been filed against RWE and Heidelberg Materials in a court in Heidelberg. Both companies are among major global emitters identified in data compiled by Carbon Majors.
Legal representation for the farmers is being provided by the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR). The legal team argues that emissions produced in Germany have contributed to climate impacts felt in Pakistan, despite the absence of direct operations in the country.
The case is currently under review by the German court. It follows a similar lawsuit filed in 2015 by a Peruvian farmer against RWE. Although that case was dismissed in 2025, the court acknowledged that companies could, in principle, be held liable for climate-related damages linked to their emissions.
The farmers’ action has been described as Pakistan’s first cross-border climate litigation. The National Trade Union Federation is assisting in compiling testimonies and evidence for submission to the German legal team.
In a statement issued in January, RWE said such cases attempt to shift climate policy issues to courts and could undermine legal certainty for companies. Heidelberg Materials has confirmed receiving legal notice but has not issued a detailed public response.
The report also noted that Germany introduced a supply chain law in 2023 aimed at addressing corporate responsibility for human rights violations abroad, following earlier cases involving overseas operations.
Environmental experts cited in the report said that while holding global emitters accountable is important, domestic measures to improve climate resilience and governance remain necessary.
The outcome of the case could influence future legal and policy discussions on assigning responsibility for climate-related damages across borders.
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