City of Paris hails ‘landmark’ climate ruling in TotalEnergies case

The city of Paris said Thursday that a court ruling ordering oil and gas giant TotalEnergies to account for its clients’ emissions represented “a landmark decision in the history of French climate law”.

“For the first time, a judge recognises that climate risks do indeed fall under the duty of vigilance owed by large corporations, and no fossil-fuel multinational can evade this responsibility,” Deputy Mayor Alice Timsit said in a statement.

The city had joined four NGOs as plaintiffs in the case against TotalEnergies.