(WO) — A Paris court has rejected claims seeking to prevent TotalEnergies from pursuing new oil and gas developments, ruling that France’s duty of vigilance law does not authorize courts to determine the company’s climate strategy or production targets.
The lawsuit, brought by environmental organizations and the City of Paris, sought to prohibit TotalEnergies from developing new oil and gas projects or require the company to reduce hydrocarbon production as part of its climate obligations.
In its ruling, the Paris Judicial Court concluded that the duty of vigilance law “is not intended to hold the companies concerned responsible for the risks related to climate change resulting from all human activity on the planet since the industrial revolution,” adding that it is not the court’s role to set climate targets for the company.
While dismissing the plaintiffs’ primary claims, the court directed TotalEnergies to update its vigilance plan to include customer-related (Scope 3) emissions.
TotalEnergies said it will revise its vigilance plan by drawing on information contained in its Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) disclosures, including measures aimed at helping customers reduce emissions through electricity, biofuels and other lower-carbon energy products.
The company also highlighted progress in reducing operational emissions, reporting a 28% reduction in Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions since 2015, including a 65% reduction in methane emissions since 2020. It said the carbon intensity of the energy products it sells had declined 18% by the end of 2025, with a target of a 25% reduction by 2030.
TotalEnergies said it is reviewing the court’s decision and will assess any additional actions required to comply with the ruling.
About The Author
