TotalEnergies on trial: Inside the lawsuit that could rewriting corporate climate accountability

This month, a French court will deliver a historic verdict on the nation’s first climate lawsuit aimed at holding a multinational oil giant legally accountable for its role in global warming. Launched in 2020 by a coalition of local French authorities, Notre Affaire à Tous, and four other civil society organizations, the case targets TotalEnergies – one of the world’s top six "supermajor" oil companies. The lawsuit challenges the corporation's continued expansion of oil and gas production, which proceeds despite decades of indisputable scientific evidence showing that fossil fuels are the primary drivers of the climate crisis.In this episode of Climate Court Voices, we sit down with Paul Mougeolle, strategic advisor for Notre Affaire à Tous. He breaks down the strategy behind this groundbreaking legal battle, explains how past international litigation inspired their case against Total, and explores what a victory would mean for global corporate accountability at a time when the 1.5°C warming threshold is slipping dangerously out of reach.Timestamps: (00:00) Intro(01:21) Introducing Paul(02:21) First steps toward suing TotalEnergies(03:59) Who is TotalEnergies?(05:14) France's Corporate Duty of Vigilance Law(08:40) International legal landscape(10:24) The ICJ advisory opinion's influence on the case(12:27) TotalEnergies accused of greenwashing(13:35) Scope 3 emissions(16:38) February's hearings(19:31) France's public prosecutor intervenes(21:10) What happens if the court rules against Total?(22:54) A new reality for corporate accountability?