Glacier on the Brink

A tv programme

Directed by

David Sington

Leading French distributor

ARTE France

Production year2026

Programme formatOne-off

GenresDocumentary

Runtime 1 min

Synopsis

Deep in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, Lake Palcacocha grows larger every year. The glaciers towering above it are melting, leaving the city of Huaraz and its 150,000 residents under the looming threat of a catastrophic flood. It has happened before: in 1941, a collapsing block of ice unleashed 11 million cubic metres of water, killing more than 4,000 people in a matter of minutes. Saúl Lliuya is a farmer and mountain guide. His home lies in the flood zone. In 2015, he makes a decision that will mark a turning point in legal history: to sue RWE, Germany’s largest electricity producer, a company responsible for 0.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. His demand is simple: RWE should help fund the city’s flood defences in proportion to its share of emissions, a contribution of around $20,000. But the implications of the case are far-reaching. In 2017, the Higher Regional Court of Hamm allows the case to proceed. For the first time, a European court recognises that a CO₂ emitter could be held liable for climate damage on the other side of the world. In May 2022, in an unprecedented move, the judges travel to the lake themselves, 4,600 metres above sea level. The ruling, delivered in May 2025, dismisses Saúl’s claim on the grounds that the flood risk to his home is not sufficient. Yet it establishes a historic legal principle: major emitters can be held liable under civil law for the consequences of their emissions. A precedent that paves the way for hundreds of similar lawsuits around the world.