French oil giant TotalEnergies has been found guilty of greenwashing after a Paris court on Thursday ruled it misled the public about plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Paris Court of Justice said the company made claims that could influence consumer choices while still increasing oil and gas production.
Greenpeace Franceand two other environmental NGOs – Friends of the Earth France and and Notre Affaire à Tous (Our Shared Responsibility) – told the French news agency AFP the ruling was “a major legal precedent against climate misinformation”.
They challenged a communication campaign launched in May 2021 on the company’s website and in the media.
"This is the first time anywhere in the world 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," Greenpeace said.
The case focused on around 40 messages about the company’s name change and its stated shift to cleaner energy.
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Company rebrand
Total had renamed itself TotalEnergies to show its ambition to be a company for all energies, from oil to wind and solar power. It announced a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 together with society.
It also called gas "the fossil fuel with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions", even though methane leaks from gas production have a strong warming effect.
The environmental groups won the removal of messages about carbon neutrality and the energy transition.
These included lines such as "Our ambition is to be a major player in the energy transition while continuing to meet the energy needs of populations" and "Our ambition is to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 together with society".
The court dismissed complaints about claims on fossil gas and agrofuels.
Lawyer Johnny White from ClientEarth said the conviction in France could have wider consequences.
At a hearing in June, TotalEnergies lawyer Clémentine Baldon said the messages were not advertisements aimed at consumers but were part of institutional and general communication governed by the Monetary and Financial Code.
TotalEnergies said the case used consumer law to attack the company strategy.
Across Europe, companies face growing pressure over climate messaging. Courts have recently ruled against airlines such as KLM and Lufthansa and found that their sustainability claims misled consumers about the environmental impact of flying.
