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Quechua Mountain Guide Sues German Energy Firm Over Climate Impacts
10 Nov
Summary
- Saúl, a Quechua-speaking mountain guide, farmer, and father, led a climate lawsuit against German energy firm RWE.
- Glaciers are melting, causing dangerous floods in Saúl's Andean community.
- Saúl's lawsuit seeks €17,000 from RWE to help fund a dam project to reduce flood risks.
As of November 2025, Saúl, a Quechua-speaking mountain guide, farmer, and father who lives in the Andean highlands, was the lead plaintiff in a landmark climate lawsuit against the German energy firm RWE. In May 2025, the higher regional court of Hamm dismissed his case, ruling that there was no concrete threat to Saúl's home. However, the court held that major greenhouse gas emitters could be accountable for the impacts of their emissions under German law.
Saúl, who was born on a farm in Huaraz Independencia at an altitude of 3,100 metres, has witnessed the devastating effects of climate change on his community. The glaciers in the nearby mountains are slowly melting, causing the formation of dangerous glacial lakes. Saúl remembers a devastating flood in 1941 that killed thousands of people, and he fears a similar disaster could strike his home if the melting continues.
Saúl's lawsuit sought €17,000 (£15,000) from RWE, which the company would have to contribute to a project to build a large, costly dam to reduce the flood risks. Saúl hopes that by holding major polluters accountable, the melting of the glaciers can be slowed, protecting his family, his community, and the mountains that are so vital to their way of life.
