Total was summoned to court Tuesday, January 28 by a collective of several cities and NGOs who ask the group "to act in a preventive manner" against global warming.

This civil legal action before the court of Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine) is based on a law of 2017 which obliges French companies employing more than 5,000 employees to publish a plan to prevent environmental risks, detailed Me Sébastien Mabile during a press conference.

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.

"We are asking the judge to enter into the full analysis, point by point, of Total's prevention plan. Is it adapted? Is it up to the challenges?", Continued Mabile, adding that he opted for a summons to the merits and not in summary proceedings, which is an emergency procedure, faster.

Local elected officials "on the front line" against global warming

Several local elected officials, including the mayors 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.

Several representatives of the NGOs at the origin of the appeal, including Sherpa or France Nature Environment, joined the mayors' criticism, 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. "

Total has already been taken to court in December 2019, on the basis of this same law of 2017 on the “duty of vigilance”, accused of having failed in its obligations on a construction site in Uganda. The group is accused by six NGOs of having failed in its vigilance obligations in the establishment of a gigantic oil project in Uganda, with serious social and environmental consequences. The Nanterre court will render its decision on January 30.

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Download the app

google-play-badge_FR