Farmers fight back against massive companies after crops are destroyed: 'Those who cause the damage should also pay for it'

A group of farmers in Pakistan whose lives were upended by massive flooding in the region filed suit against a pair of multinational companies for their alleged role in polluting the planet. 

What's happening?

According to The Guardian, lawyers representing 43 people in the Sindh region of Pakistan sent formal letters to German energy company RWE and cement producer Heidelberg.

The letters detailed their clients' intent to file suit against them for allegedly contributing to rising temperatures by emitting carbon dioxide. 

"Those who cause the damage should also pay for it," said Abdul Hafeez Khoso, a landowner and teacher who lives in the village of Molabuxkhoso in northern Sindh, and one of the claimants.

"We, who have contributed the least to the climate crisis, are losing our homes and livelihoods while corporations in the wealthy North continue to make profits," he added.

The suit centered on massive flooding from heavy rains that ripped through almost a third of Pakistan, killing 1,700 people, displacing another 33 million, washing away homes, and causing economic losses of up to $30 billion. 

The plaintiffs are seeking $1 million in damages, and their suit is built on the bones of a failed suit earlier this year in which a farmer was unable to prove his home was at risk of flooding. 

Why is this lawsuit important?

This action is part of a growing number of lawsuits brought by people around the world against companies, arguing that they pollute the planet and have contributed to its overheating. 

RWE is responsible for 0.68% of global carbon pollution since 1965 through its oil and gas production, while Heidelberg is responsible for 0.12% through its concrete manufacturing. But they're not the only companies facing scrutiny. 

Exxon Mobil and Suncor are being sued by the state of Colorado, while the island nation of Vanuatu is among 100 countries suing major polluters as well. 

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Shell is also being sued by a Nigerian monarch for its role in polluting the country.

What's being done about this lawsuit?

The lawyers involved in filing this suit hope that by building a case around events that have already occurred, they will have more success than in similar previous lawsuits, arguing that rising temperatures impact weather patterns and directly caused the flooding in the region. 

"The climate crisis is no longer a theoretical threat; it is a present reality," said Clara Gonzales of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.

"Diplomacy may have failed affected communities, but the rule of law should be on their side. It is time to draw a clear line: carbon majors should not escape the 'polluter pays' principle."

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