A French court has ruled that oil and gas giant TotalEnergies engaged in “misleading commercial practices” by overstating its climate pledges, marking what activists described as the first global ruling against a major oil company for climate misinformation. The court ordered the company to remove several claims about its environmental ambitions.
The decision, which could set a legal precedent for how corporations communicate environmental commitments, comes as European regulators tighten scrutiny over green marketing claims. Similar judgments have been issued in Europe this year against airlines KLM and Lufthansa for exaggerating their efforts to reduce the environmental impact of air travel.
ClientEarth, an environmental law organisation that tracks cases against the fossil fuel industry, hailed the verdict as a “historic win against greenwashing.” It said, “It is the first judgment in the world ruling that an oil and gas major has misled the public by greening its image.”
The Paris court found that TotalEnergies misled consumers on its French website by suggesting it could achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 while still increasing oil and gas production. However, it dismissed other complaints regarding the company’s promotion of fossil gas and biofuels as clean energy.
Greenpeace and other environmental groups described the verdict as “a major legal precedent against climate misinformation.” The ruling, they said, shows that “a major oil and gas company has been convicted by the courts for misleading the public by greenwashing its image regarding its contribution to the fight against climate change.”
ClientEarth lawyer Jonathan White called it a “landmark judgment” and said it sent “a clear warning shot to other oil and gas majors in Europe and beyond: claiming to be part of the transition while backing new fossil fuel projects comes at a tried-and-tested legal price.”
The civil case stemmed from a March 2022 lawsuit filed by three environmental groups accusing TotalEnergies of misleading the public about its ability to reach carbon neutrality while continuing fossil fuel expansion. The suit targeted about 40 claims the company made beginning in 2021, including slogans such as “net zero by 2050, together with society.”
At the time, TotalEnergies had rebranded from Total to highlight its investments in renewable energy. But activists argued there was a “big gap” between the company’s statements and its continued reliance on fossil fuels.
The court ordered TotalEnergies to remove several claims related to carbon neutrality and the energy transition, including “Our ambition is to be a major player in the energy transition while continuing to meet the public’s energy needs” and “Our ambition is to contribute to reaching net zero by 2050, together with society.”
TotalEnergies’ electricity and gas subsidiaries in France must also publish the ruling on their websites.
