Latest reports show that the French oil major TotalEnergies has sued the environmental group Greenpeace France and the climate consulting firm Factor-X following a report that claimed that the company massively underestimated its 2019 greenhouse gas emissions, Total said on Wednesday.
Served on 28 April, the civil complaint is seeking a ruling that the November publication contains “false and misleading information”, a judicial order to withdraw the publication and cease all references to it under penalty of €2,000 (£1,760) a day in fines, plus a symbolic €1 in damages.
According to reports, a first procedural hearing is expected to take place on 7 September at the Paris judicial court to set a calendar for arguments, though it will be several months before a judge begins to rule on the merits of the case.
Greenpeace and Factor-X accused the oil major of having emitted about 1.64bn tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2019 but only disclosed 455m tonnes in public statements. TotalEnergies countered that the report double-counted emissions by knowingly using dubious methodologies, which were morally prejudicial to the listed company.
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“This is a question of principle, and a judgment from the court will not prevent Greenpeace from continuing to criticise us and our climate strategy if they wish but will remind them that public debate on issues with such high stakes concerning a listed company requires rigour and good faith,” a TotalEnergies spokesperson was quoted as saying.
The spokesperson also said that the company’s main goal was to have the court recognise the knowingly false nature of the report since the Factor-X firm behind the maths presented itself as an expert in the field of carbon emissions accounting.
In its own reaction, Greenpeace said that the lawsuit was an attempt to muzzle it before the 26 May TotalEnergies general assembly, where activist shareholders will push for stricter climate commitments.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
