TotalEnergies Faces Lawsuit Demanding Halt to Oil and Gas Exploration in Paris
TotalEnergies SE is currently embroiled in a significant lawsuit in Paris, aimed at preventing one of Europe’s leading oil and gas producers from initiating new fossil fuel exploration and extraction projects.
A coalition of non-governmental organizations, alongside the Paris town hall, has urged judges to compel TotalEnergies to take more substantial action against climate change. Their goal is to limit global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
This coalition of climate advocates is leveraging France’s duty of vigilance law, which mandates that large corporations develop plans to identify and mitigate various risks, including environmental ones. Failure to comply can result in legal action.
During the court proceedings, a lawyer representing TotalEnergies contended that the demands of the lawsuit were excessively broad and exceeded the court’s jurisdiction. “In reality, what you are being asked to do is to ban TotalEnergies from carrying out its corporate purpose,” argued Maxime Mondain-Bernard in court.
The energy giant has faced increasing legal challenges from various groups in France. Notably, it was criticized last year in a greenwashing case by the same Paris court, which accused TotalEnergies of misleading consumers regarding its climate commitments after rebranding from Total in 2021. The company chose not to appeal the court’s decision.
In the ongoing case, organizations such as Notre Affaire à Tous, Sherpa, and France Nature Environnement are pressing the Paris court to hold TotalEnergies accountable for its indirect emissions. These emissions, primarily generated within a company’s value chain, are referred to as “Scope 3” emissions. The coalition argues that TotalEnergies has the capacity to reduce these emissions by offering alternatives to polluting fuels in response to energy demand.
However, TotalEnergies’ legal team maintains that Scope 3 emissions are beyond the company’s control. “What alleged influence do we have to make Air France modernize its fleet?” attorney Denis Chemla questioned in court. “What influence would we have to force Airbus to build lighter planes?”
Furthermore, the lawyers argued that if TotalEnergies were to close all its petrol stations in France, drivers would simply seek fuel elsewhere, undermining any potential impact.
The hearings for this trial in Paris are scheduled to conclude on Friday afternoon, with judges expected to announce a ruling date at that time.
Photograph: The TotalEnergies SE office building in the La Defense business district in Paris. Photo credit: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg
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TotalEnergies SE is currently embroiled in a significant lawsuit in Paris, aimed at preventing one of Europe’s leading oil and gas producers from initiating new fossil fuel exploration and extraction projects.
A coalition of non-governmental organizations, alongside the Paris town hall, has urged judges to compel TotalEnergies to take more substantial action against climate change. Their goal is to limit global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
This coalition of climate advocates is leveraging France’s duty of vigilance law, which mandates that large corporations develop plans to identify and mitigate various risks, including environmental ones. Failure to comply can result in legal action.
During the court proceedings, a lawyer representing TotalEnergies contended that the demands of the lawsuit were excessively broad and exceeded the court’s jurisdiction. “In reality, what you are being asked to do is to ban TotalEnergies from carrying out its corporate purpose,” argued Maxime Mondain-Bernard in court.
The energy giant has faced increasing legal challenges from various groups in France. Notably, it was criticized last year in a greenwashing case by the same Paris court, which accused TotalEnergies of misleading consumers regarding its climate commitments after rebranding from Total in 2021. The company chose not to appeal the court’s decision.
In the ongoing case, organizations such as Notre Affaire à Tous, Sherpa, and France Nature Environnement are pressing the Paris court to hold TotalEnergies accountable for its indirect emissions. These emissions, primarily generated within a company’s value chain, are referred to as “Scope 3” emissions. The coalition argues that TotalEnergies has the capacity to reduce these emissions by offering alternatives to polluting fuels in response to energy demand.
However, TotalEnergies’ legal team maintains that Scope 3 emissions are beyond the company’s control. “What alleged influence do we have to make Air France modernize its fleet?” attorney Denis Chemla questioned in court. “What influence would we have to force Airbus to build lighter planes?”
Furthermore, the lawyers argued that if TotalEnergies were to close all its petrol stations in France, drivers would simply seek fuel elsewhere, undermining any potential impact.
The hearings for this trial in Paris are scheduled to conclude on Friday afternoon, with judges expected to announce a ruling date at that time.
Photograph: The TotalEnergies SE office building in the La Defense business district in Paris. Photo credit: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg
Related:
Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
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