Climate Justice on the Brink of a Breakpoint

A landmark case against RWE, Germany's power giant, is nearing its conclusion, as climate justice for those injured by polluters gains momentum. Saul Luciano Lliuya, a farmer and mountain guide from Peru, has been pushing for accountability from RWE, arguing that the company's CO2 emissions are partly responsible for the climate crisis and the threat posed by a glacial lake in Huaraz, Peru.

Key Takeaways:

• The case against RWE in the Appeal Court is scheduled to rule on May 28, with the possibility of finding the company financially liable for the risk faced by Luciano Lliuya and his neighbors.
• Climate justice lawyers are trying to speed the shift in climate justice, with new cases against companies like Shell, BP, and British Gas, and a recent landmark ruling in the US finding that Montana was violating residents' constitutional right to a clean environment.
• The courts cannot overlook climate reality in favor of short-term commercial considerations for much longer, as climate risks and costs rise and fossil fuel companies and their boards face increasing legal liabilities and commercial risks.
• Research in the journal Nature estimates that emissions linked to companies like Chevron and BP have caused trillions of dollars in economic losses associated with extreme heat.
• Climate justice on the brink of a breakpoint is marked by the need for trillions of dollars in stranded assets to be recognized, with vast quantities of oil and gas left in the ground if climate crises are to be averted.

Statistics:

• $791 billion to $3.6 trillion in heat-related economic losses caused by Chevron emissions over the period 1991-2020 (Journal of Nature).
• $1.5 trillion in economic losses caused by BP pollution over the same period (Journal of Nature).
• 429ppm: the current level of global CO2 levels, a number last recorded between 14 and 16 million years ago.
• 1.5C: the temperature above pre-industrial times that has been exceeded.

Sources:

• Gillian Martin, "We must stop thinking Scotland's safe from climate disaster" (The Guardian).
• Stuart PM Mackintosh, "Climate Crisis Economics: A Race of Tipping Points" (book).
• "Landmark ruling finds Montana violated residents' environmental rights" (The Guardian).
• "Dutch lawyers launch new case against Shell over climate change" (BBC News).
• "Climate change study blames companies for trillions in economic losses" (Nature).