Latest Swiss court ruling: Pari Islanders taking Big Polluter Holcim to court
Whilst transnational companies are evading all responsibility for their role in the climate crisis, a Swiss court ruling could well be a game-changer.
Residents of Pari Island in Indonesia have decided to file a lawsuit against Holcim. Their complaint centres on the world’s largest private cement manufacturer’s contribution to the climate crisis, which is endangering their way of life and that of the future generations. This is only the second time in history that a complaint by residents of a Global South country against a transnational corporation (TNC) from a Global North country has been deemed admissible by a court – the other case being that of a Peruvian farmer against energy giant RWE.
The residents of Pari Island are on the frontlines of the climate crisis
Located near Jakarta, the Indonesian capital that will be forced to relocate over the next decade due in part to rising sea levels, Pari Island is one of the places in the world where the effects of climate change are felt most acutely, both on land and at sea.
Local communities are facing severe coastal erosion: 11 per cent of the island’s land area has already been submerged by the sea. The damage caused by tidal flooding is also worsening, with homes that were previously safe now being flooded several times a year.
Residents can also no longer obtain sufficient resources from the sea as rising water temperatures lead to poor fishing yields and disrupt seaweed production. Whilst almost every household on Pari Island was involved in seaweed plantations a few years ago, only five farms are still struggling to survive today.
Taking legal action against Holcim as a matter of justice and survival
To protect the island from erosion and break the waves causing the flooding, the local communities have stepped up their mangrove planting efforts, a long and laborious process. Whilst these plantations are effective, they remain insufficient.
Above all, the residents of Pari Island want their land to remain liveable for themselves and future generations. To date, the residents have had to fund the measures to protect their island themselves – particularly the mangroves – even though Pari Island’s historical contribution to global warming is negligible.
That is why Asmania, Arif, Mustaghfirin (Bobby) and Edi, all residents of Pari Island, have decided to file a lawsuit against Holcim, which remains one of the world’s largest corporate emitters.
Their demands are simple: Holcim must reduce its CO₂ emissions by 69 per cent by 2040 compared to the company’s 2019 emissions in order to limit the damage caused by future global warming; and Holcim must take responsibility and compensate the residents of Pari Island for the damage they have already suffered, as well as contribute to adaptation measures to protect the island.
Swiss court ruling is a major step toward climate and environmental justice.
The complaint against Holcim was filed in the Swiss canton of Zug where the TNC is headquartered.
The campaign is supported by Swiss Church Aid (HEKS), WALHI / Friends of the Earth Indonesia, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and Friends of the Earth International. The co-plaintiffs travelled to Switzerland for an initial hearing on 3 September 2025. On 22 December, the Zug Cantonal Court finally handed down a landmark ruling: the legal action brought by the islanders has been declared admissible.
“I’ve travelled a long way and left my children at home to be here. I am here because I feel the direct impacts and threats of climate change every day. I am worried for the future of my children. Where should we go if our only island sinks?” – Asmania, co-plaintiff in the case against Holcim
The court’s ruling will allow the legal grounds of this case to be examined. In its decision, the court notes that “every individual contribution is essential in the fight against climate change” and that “the fact that others behave in the same way does not make harmful behaviour legitimate.”
Friends of the Earth International has also supported the community on Pari Island by helping to create a mural bearing the message “Jangan Tunggu Kami Tenggelam” (“Don’t let Pari Island sink”). The mural has spread globally as FoEI member groups stand in solidarity with the Pari Islanders, from Switzerland to India, Australia and beyond.
This landmark lawsuit against Holcim breaks through the impunity enjoyed by transnational corporations. By taking their case to a Swiss court, the residents of Pari Island, supported by Friends of the Earth International and our allies, are demonstrating that climate justice is built through concrete and collective action centred on justice. The campaign led by Asmania, Arif, Bobby and Edi reminds us that the most impacted communities can count on our federation’s internationalist solidarity and people power to hold polluters to account in a trial whose outcome could redefine the boundaries of climate liability.
