A Paris court on Thursday March 28, 2024, canceled a legal summons by TotalEnergies against Greenpeace. Ironically, the verdict comes precisely on Kull’s centenary day.
The fight against the backdrop of TotalEnergies’ carbon footprint
TotalEnergies, faced with a report by Greenpeace and Factor-X accusing the firm of quadrupling its carbon impact, has had a request for a legal summons rejected by a Paris court, coinciding with the group’s centenary on March 28, 2024. . The decision marks a turning point not only in the specific case linking Total Energy to Greenpeace, but also in the broader debate about carbon accounting and corporate responsibility in the climate crisis.
The NGO, which is famous for its environmental activism, published A report in 2022 alleged that Total Energies’ annual emissions amounted to 1.6 billion tonnes of CO2, four times more than those disclosed by the oil and gas group. (450 million tons). Total Energy responded by suing Greenpeace “ Dissemination of false and misleading information », demanded the unpublishing of the controversial report and 50,000 euros in legal costs.
The trial was canceled due to lack of details
The court dismissed Total Energies’ summons as ” Very imprecise », preventing Greenpeace from effectively defending itself. As the judgment points out, “ The lack of particulars necessarily prejudices defendants who, without a precise and complete list of the allegedly false or misleading information that is the subject of TotalEnergies’ legal action, cannot usefully defend themselves on the merits. “The oil and gas group was ordered to pay the A fine of 15,000 euros To cover the legal costs of Greenpeace and Factor-X. The oil and gas group took note of the court’s decision and has given 15 days to appeal.
The issue of transparency and integrity in corporate environmental reporting is becoming increasingly important. Greenpeace’s criticism of TotalEnergies highlights a systemic problem in the energy sector, where carbon accounting remains unclear and open to interpretation. TotalEnergies will be able, since its process was not considered abusive by the court, to initiate new legal proceedings, but with more specific data.
