A Paris civil court has ruled that TotalEnergies misled consumers through statements portraying the company as a leader in the energy transition.
The decision, issued on 23 October 2025, follows a complaint filed in March 2022 by Greenpeace France, Les Amis de la Terre France, and Notre Affaire à Tous, who accused the energy firm of “misleading commercial practices.”
The court said the company “committed misleading commercial practices in diffusing … messages … likely to mislead consumers about the scope of the group’s environmental commitments,” according to the judgment cited by Reuters.
The ruling marks the first time a major French energy firm has been held liable under consumer protection law for greenwashing claims.
The court ordered TotalEnergies to delete several statements from its website, including its ambition “to become a major actor in the energy transition” and its pledge to be “carbon neutral by 2050, together with society,” as reported by Energy in Demand. Other phrases, such as “placing sustainability at the heart of its strategy” and providing “more energy, less emissions,” were also found to mislead consumers.
Judges concluded that the company’s continued expansion in fossil fuel production conflicted with its public portrayal as part of a low-carbon transition. However, the ruling did not address statements about natural gas, biofuels, or the realism of the 2050 target.
TotalEnergies must display a link to the court’s decision on its website for 180 days and pay €8,000 to each NGO, plus €15,000 in legal fees. Failure to comply could result in fines of €20,000 per day.
The company said in a statement cited by Energy in Demand that it “will draw the conclusions of this judgment regarding the content of its website,” adding that the decision targets general statements, not specific advertising campaigns.
The judgment may prompt clearer EU-level guidance on environmental marketing.
“By recognising that Total’s communications mislead consumers, the French courts are finally tackling the impunity of fossil fuel greenwashing that Total had enjoyed until now,” NGO Les Amis de la Terre said.