French Court Mandates Climate Risk Disclosure by TotalEnergies

A Paris court has ruled that TotalEnergies must disclose climate risks associated with its products and outline plans to address them. While the court acknowledged the applicability of France's corporate duty of vigilance law to climate issues, it stopped short of enforcing specific emission reduction measures.

A landmark ruling by a Paris court has ordered TotalEnergies to disclose the climate-related risks arising from its oil and gas products. The decision follows a case brought by several NGOs under France's corporate duty of vigilance law.

While the ruling marks a partial victory for climate advocates, the court did not mandate specific measures like overseas exploration limits or binding emissions targets. Previous climate litigation against oil giants has shown varying outcomes, as seen in a Dutch case involving Shell.

TotalEnergies has six months to present an updated vigilance plan. The company contested the law's applicability to climate risks and argued against accountability for Scope 3 emissions. A coalition led by SHERPA and NGOs initiated the lawsuit to enforce compliance with climate goals.