This is the first climate dispute against a French company: a collective of several cities and NGOs announced Tuesday that they have taken Total to court asking it to "act in a preventive manner" against global warming.
This civil legal action before the court of Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine), which already promises to be long, is based on the law of February 2017. This constrains French companies employing more than 5,000 employees to publish a plan to prevent environmental risks, detailed Me Sébastien Mabile at a press conference.
[🛑New legal action] Today @Asso_Sherpa @NotreAffaire @ecomaires @FNEasso and 14 local authorities bring Total to justice for failure to fulfill its #devoirdigigance in climate matters 🌍
Our press release: https://t.co/fWzQP7fSwM pic.twitter.com/bO599nrd6S
Among the 20 largest emitters of CO2 in the world
In March 2019, the oil giant, ranked among the 20 largest emitters of CO2 in the world, had published a vigilance plan, but the communities consider that the measures are "clearly insufficient" in view of the objectives set by the Paris agreement .
This 2015 text aims to limit global warming to + 2 ° C, even + 1.5 ° C, compared to the pre-industrial era.
The signatories are States and not companies, but the bearers of this appeal believe that French justice can take into account the objectives of the climate pact to examine the commitments and actions of Total.
"Enter [...] point by point, Total's prevention plan"
“We ask the judge to enter into the full analysis, point by point, of Total's prevention plan. Is it suitable? Is it up to the challenges? ”, Continued Sébastien Mabile, specifying that he opted for a summons to the merits and not for interim measures (urgent procedure, faster).
Several local elected officials, including the mayor of Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine) and Arcueil (Val-de-Marne), also took the floor to "call Total to account", believing that they were "on the front line" in the fight against global warming.
"We are asking them for accounts but also positive and concrete actions for our populations and our territories," insisted Patrick Jarry, mayor of Nanterre.
The Total group "regrets" the approach taken
Several representatives of the NGOs at the origin of the appeal, including Sherpa or France Nature Environment, joined the criticism of the mayors, recalling that Total was "legally bound to assess the risks and take the necessary measures".
In June 2019, they put Total on notice to take the necessary measures to prevent the major risks linked to climate change.
For its part, the Total group claims to "regret" the approach taken by communities and associations "while solutions to meet both the need for energy accessible to all and the challenges of climate change require cooperation between different actors ”.
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