French court finds TotalEnergies responsible for climate and health risks of its fuels

A Paris court has found French energy giant TotalEnergies responsible for the climate and health impacts of its fossil fuels, a landmark decision in a climate lawsuit brought by the city of Paris and environmental groups. The ruling, however, stopped short of imposing immediate production cuts.

The court determined that TotalEnergies failed in its legal duty of care, a French law requiring companies to prevent human rights and environmental risks from their activities. The plaintiffs argued that as one of the world's top historical emitters, TotalEnergies significantly contributes to the climate crisis.

While the company is not yet ordered to reduce oil and gas production by specific targets, it must now conduct a new risk assessment that includes "scope 3" emissions. These are the greenhouse gases released when customers burn TotalEnergies' products in cars, power plants, and heating systems. The court deemed the company's current plan, which only covers emissions from its own facilities, incomplete and a violation of human rights.

TotalEnergies has six months to submit a revised plan, and the court will revisit the case on January 27, 2027, potentially imposing mandatory reductions at that time. The city of Paris celebrated the ruling, with Belgian climate lawyers also drawing encouragement from the decision.

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Cero privilegios, la ley se aplica por igual a todas y a todos.