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Artikel

12 Jul 2022

Autor:
European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)

Four fishermen from Indonesia file "groundbreaking" climate lawsuit against Holcim in Switzerland

"Groundbreaking climate case against Swiss cement company Holcim", 12 Jul 2022

The climate crisis is causing damage all over the world, resulting in human rights violations and the destruction of livelihoods – especially in the Global South where people have scarcely contributed to the crisis, like those on the Indonesian island Pari. Rising sea levels have led to increased flooding and extensive damage to houses, streets and businesses on the island. Without rapid reductions in global CO2 emissions, large portions of the island will likely be submerged under water in 30 years.

The people on Pari must now pay for the measures to protect the island themselves – even though they have hardly contributed to climate change...

With their application for conciliation submitted on Monday in Zug, the four plaintiffs seek to hold the Swiss company [Holcim] accountable. They are therefore demanding proportional compensation for damages already caused by climate change, as well as the co-financing of necessary flood protection measures. Above all, however, they are demanding a rapid reduction in the company’s excessive CO2 emissions – so that less damage will occur in the future...

Holcim is globally the leading manufacturer of cement, the basic material for concrete, and one of the 50 biggest CO2 emitters out of all companies worldwide. The production of cement releases enormous quantities of CO2. A new study shows that the Swiss company emitted more than seven billion tons of CO2 from 1950 to 2021...

The submission of the application for conciliation by the affected parties from Indonesia marks the first formal civil proceedings in Switzerland against a company for its contribution to climate change. In the request, the affected parties are invoking their human rights and are claiming that their personal rights have been violated. “If a company has caused damage, it should be held responsible for it,” claimed Nina Burri, expert on business and human rights at HEKS. But, ultimately this is about “global justice.”...

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