Friday, October 24, 2025 - 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 organization 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.
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