A court ruling in France could give African countries more power to hold corporations to account when they pretend to be environmentally friendly. The Paris Judicial Court found global oil and gas giant TotalEnergies guilty of misleading commercial practices, in a case brought by three environmental organisations.
The October 2025 ruling marks the first time a fossil fuel major has been punished by the courts for greenwashing – where a company makes misleading claims about being environmentally friendly.
TotalEnergies greenhouse gas emissions are increasing every year, yet in an advertising campaign the company presented itself as a “major player in the energy transition”. The company also said it would reach net zero by 2050, meaning it would emit no more greenhouse gases than it could absorb.
The organisations told the court that TotalEnergies made consumers believe it had a climate plan that met the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting global warming to less than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
To meet this target, greenhouse gas emissions need to drop by 43% by 2030. Fossil fuel polluters would need to stop most of their emissions.
The court agreed that TotalEnergies adverts would be understood by the average consumer as a claim that the company was part of the fight against climate change.
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