A French court has delivered a landmark judgment against oil and gas giant TotalEnergies SE, holding it accountable for the carbon footprint associated with its global operations.
On June 25, the Paris Judicial Court ordered the multinational business to revise its vigilance plan in relation to its climate risk assessment. The order requires the company to include Scope 3 emissions, which encompasses those stemming from the use of its products and other indirect emissions, as well as measures to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with those activities.
The case was brought in 2020 by the civil society organizations Notre Affaire à Tous, Sherpa, Zéa and France Nature Environnement, together with the city of Paris. It was heard in January 2026.
“The judgment sends a very clear message that fossil fuel companies are responsible for all of their emissions, including those generated by customers using their products,” Anne Stévignon, legal specialist in litigation and advocacy at Notre Affaire à Tous, said during an online press conference attended by Mongabay on the day of the ruling.
Stévignon added that the decision confirms France’s Duty of Vigilance Law applies to climate risks generated by multinational corporations. The 2017 legislation requires large French companies to publish and implement annual vigilance plans identifying risks to human rights, health and safety, and the environment throughout their global operations. They must also present measures to prevent or mitigate such risks.
The claimants had sought broader relief than the court granted. They argued that TotalEnergies should be required to align its business strategy with the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels. They also asked the court to order the company to reduce its fossil-fuel activities and adopt a more ambitious emissions-reduction trajectory.
However, the court deferred its decision on those claims and held that it must first assess the steps TotalEnergies takes to comply with the order.
“The tribunal considered that it must wait until the company has adequately modified its vigilance plan and identified the risk related to its oil and gas activities before being able to give an interpretation on these measures,” Stévignon said during the press conference.
The court also ordered TotalEnergies to pay €20,000 ($22,833) to each claimant in legal costs and scheduled a further hearing for Jan. 21, 2027.
In a statement provided to Mongabay, TotalEnergies said it “notes with satisfaction that, in its decision issued today, the Paris Judicial Court did not uphold the claims brought by the associations and the City of Paris, which sought to prohibit TotalEnergies from developing or undertaking new oil and gas projects or to require it to reduce its oil and gas production.”
While acknowledging the court’s order, the company reiterated that reducing emissions also depends on consumer choices, “such as purchasing an electric vehicle, a heat pump, or using biofuels.”
Banner Image: The claimants in front of the Paris Court in January. Image courtesy of Notre Affairs à Tous
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