ANSWERING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: A PERUVIAN FARMER SUES AN ENERGY GIANT
LEGAL OR POLITICAL BARRIERS?
Lliuya, after being ignored by energy giant RWE, the “biggest single emitter of CO2” in Europe, has decided to take a different route, with the help of NGO Germanwatch: he’s suing. While many people believe that ascribing legal fault to companies that contribute to climate change is untenable, others disagree, like Andrew Gauge, West Coast Environmental Law Staff Counsel. Gage contends that the problem with tackling companies and holding them accountable for their contributions to global warming is not without legal precedent. Instead, he says, “The reality is that the barriers are political, not legal.”
That’s why Lliuya’s case against RWE is attracting so much notice. Even if the farmer doesn’t succeed, the outcome of the case could open the doors for future cases. As Gage puts it, “You can’t have a business model where you know you are causing billions of dollars of harm each year,” while discounting any responsibility for that damage. “Sooner or later, that conversation comes back to you.”
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