This investigation was opened by the economic and financial unit of the Nanterre public prosecutor's office following a criminal complaint, in October 2020, from several environmental defense associations.
The latter notably accuse the oil giant of degradation of the air, said the prosecution.
In April 2022, this collective of associations (Wild Legal, Sea Sheperd France and Darwin Climax Coalitions) filed a new complaint, accusing TotalEnergies of "other practices" which, according to them, were the origin of "ecocide", a explained the public prosecutor.
Still under study, this new complaint has not, at this stage, led to the opening of an investigation or been joined to the ongoing investigations.
Contacted, TotalEnergies did not react immediately.
© 2023 AFP