On December 22, a Swiss court agreed to hear a climate lawsuit against Holcim, a large Swiss cement company. The decision marks the first time a Swiss tribunal has allowed a climate case against a major corporation.
The complaint was filed in January 2023 by four Indonesians from Pulau Pari, a small, low-lying island about 30 kilometers north of Jakarta. Much of the island sits barely 1.5 meters above sea level. As global temperatures rise, seawater has increasingly flooded homes and roads, contaminated freshwater wells, and threatened fishing and tourism, the island’s main sources of income.
Swiss Church Aid, which is backing the plaintiffs, said the decision is unprecedented in Switzerland, as no court had previously allowed climate litigation against a large corporate emitter to move forward.
What's the Case About?
Cement production is responsible for about 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions, making cement companies some of the world’s
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