TotalEnergies: NGOs and local authorities are calling for the group’s future mineral projects to be halted

No break for TotalEnergies. Only after its General Assembly was disrupted on May 26 by attempts to block climate activists, the multinational organization met on Wednesday, May 31, with a coalition of six NGOs and sixteen local governments – including the cities of Paris and New York. before 5^e The Civil Chamber of the Paris Court of Justice is crowded.

Today’s hearing was not about the merits of the case (non-compliance with the objectives of the Paris Agreement), but about the admissibility of the legal action and The unprecedented demand of these applicants, mainly from the ranks of environmentalists: to force society, at the global level, “Stop it Any project to find and exploit new hydrocarbon deposits ».

This event, referred to as “temporary” By applicants claiming a climate emergency — even though a substantive decision won’t be made until 2024 or even 2025 — has been discussed “unfair” and “disproportionate” by TotalEnergies’ attorneys challenging the admissibility of this legal action.

Compliance with the Paris Agreement

“TotalEnergies is aware of the risks [climaticides de son activité] and their severity since 1971 [selon des archives dévoilées en 2021](…) ; It is responsible for more than 1% of global greenhouse gases (…) and 1.9% of oil production”ébastien Mabile, one of the councilors of the coalition, recalls. “So we can’t give them a few more months or a few more decades as they’re asking for”he added.

According to the lawyer, “The measure is necessary and proportionate”. ” We are not asking for money, for confiscation, but for taking action against the reference standard that is the Paris Agreement. “He and the judge continued reports of climate experts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) that help stop any new hydrocarbon exploration projects. “You can make this historic decision (…) Reinventing the model. Law is an evolving process. »

“30% of TotalEnergies shareholders are also demanding what we have been demanding through the courts, which is to stop the oil and gas projects.”– added M.^e Mabile, cites the outcome of a motion by minority shareholders challenging the climate strategy at its May 26 general meeting.