Indonesia islanders file climate lawsuit against Swiss cement group Holcim

INDONESIA – Residents of the Indonesian island of Pulau Pari have filed a complaint against the cement giant Holcim, over pollution caused largely by refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from plastic packaging waste, which has caused massive flooding on the island of Pari.

The complaint, brought by four residents, filed the case on Monday in the Swiss canton of Zug, where Holcim is headquartered, following a “conciliation meeting” last year where they failed to reach a resolution.

The climate lawsuit has also been supported by the Swiss NGO HEKS and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.

The island residents aim to hold Holcim liable for its pollution and are seeking compensation for “climate damages”.

They argue that the 1,500 people living on Pari are at significant risk of losing their livelihoods due to sea level rise and flooding, even though they had contributed little to global emissions.

“Our existence is under threat,” said Asmania, one of the plaintiffs. “We want those responsible to now finally take action.”

According to HEKS, rising sea levels around Pulau Pari have already led to increased flooding and extensive damage to houses, streets and local businesses.

It says large portions of the island are likely to be submerged under water over the next few decades unless there are rapid reductions in global carbon emissions.

The plaintiffs are demanding that Holcim pay 0.42 percent of the cost of damages already incurred and impending, and of new flood protection measures, since they argue the company contributed 0.42 percent of the global fossil fuel and cement emissions put into the atmosphere since 1751, citing a study by research group the Climate Accountability Institute.

They are also asking the company — which had its net zero emissions plans approved by the influential Science Based Targets initiative oversight group — to commit to more rapidly reducing its carbon emissions.

Holcim is defending its position against the Pari Islanders, stating: “We do not believe that court cases focused on single companies are an effective mechanism to tackle the global complexity of climate action.

“We believe in partnering across the building value chain to accelerate the transition to net zero together. That’s where we are focusing our efforts to scale up our impact.”

This case is modeled on a similar legal challenge being brought by a Peruvian farmer and mountain guide against the energy firm RWE.

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