TOURNAI, Belgium, March 18 (Reuters) - A Belgian court on Wednesday postponed its ruling in a lawsuit against French company TotalEnergies brought by a local farmer, the first climate change-related
Belgium court says it has jurisdiction in farmer's climate case against TotalEnergies
Belgian Court Considers Landmark Climate Lawsuit Against TotalEnergies
By Charlotte Van Campenhout
Background of the Case
TOURNAI, Belgium, March 18 (Reuters) - A Belgian court said on Wednesday it had jurisdiction in a case against French company TotalEnergies brought by a local farmer, the first such climate change-related lawsuit in Belgium, though it postponed its decision to September.
The Plaintiff: Hugues Falys
Hugues Falys, a cattle farmer in the municipality of Lessines, has sought 135,000 euros ($155,412) in compensation from the oil and gas firm for damage caused by climate change that he said his farm had suffered. He has also asked for a legal order for the company to halt investments in new fossil fuel projects.
Context: Similar Climate Lawsuits Worldwide
The Belgium case follows a series of similar complaints lodged in other countries by farmers and activist groups against oil majors, power utilities and banks to force them to stop investing in or financing fossil fuel projects.
International Precedents
In 2023, a French court declined to consider a case brought by a coalition of environmental groups seeking to force TotalEnergies to cut emissions. A Peruvian farmer lost a similar lawsuit last year against German utility RWE.
Court Proceedings and Immediate Reactions
On Wednesday, the court in Tournai said it had jurisdiction in the case brought by Falys, dismissing TotalEnergies' claim that it could not be heard in Belgium.
"We have won a victory on the admissibility of the case, on the jurisdiction of the Belgian court to try a multinational company based in France; this is a very important point for any future lawsuits," Falys said after the hearing.
The court pushed back its verdict until September 9 as it said it wanted to wait for the judgment in a similar case in France, which is expected on June 25.
Spokespersons for TotalEnergies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Implications and Potential Impact
TotalEnergies' Responsibility and Farmer's Intentions
Falys argued that as one of the world's top 20 CO2-emitting companies, TotalEnergies is partly responsible for the damage inflicted by extreme weather on his operations between 2016 and 2022. He pledged to donate any compensation he received to a farming organization.
Legal and Social Significance
The court's decision on admissibility was a step in the right direction as it allows any victim of climate change to sue big companies, said Matthias Petel of NGO Ligue des Droits Humains, which supported Falys in the case.
Possible Precedent for Future Cases
A legal victory for Falys could set a precedent for other farmers, who could sue other oil majors.
Additional Information
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(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Inti Landauro; Editing by Bart Meijer and Pooja Desai)
