Oil and gas giant TotalEnergies found guilty of greenwashing

Mongabay
Mongabay 4M France
TotalEnergies was found guilty of greenwashing by a Paris court for overstating its climate commitments, marking a significant legal precedent in the oil industry. This ruling highlights the need for accountability in corporate environmental claims.
Oil and gas giant TotalEnergies found guilty of greenwashing
Why it matters
TotalEnergies, a leading oil and gas company, has been found guilty of greenwashing by a Paris court, which determined that the company had deceived consumers by exaggerating its climate commitments. The court's ruling requires TotalEnergies to remove misleading environmental claims from its website and to display the ruling prominently for six months. This case, initiated by NGOs including Greenpeace France and Friends of the Earth, challenged the company's promotional campaign that accompanied its rebranding from Total to TotalEnergies. Despite claims of pursuing carbon neutrality by 2050, evidence showed that TotalEnergies continued to invest in new fossil fuel projects, contradicting its stated goals. The ruling is seen as a significant step towards holding corporations accountable for misleading environmental narratives, with potential implications for similar cases in the future.
TOPICS

World & Politics Policy & Regulation Climate & Environment Climate Change

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