On June 6, 2025, the Paris criminal court acquitted Yannick Jadot, an ecologist senator from Paris, who was sued by the French oil and gas company TotalEnergies for defamation. Jadot had accused TotalEnergies of being "complicit in war crimes" due to its indirect financial support to the Russian state budget, which was used to fund the war in Ukraine. The court found that Jadot's claims had a factual basis, affirming that TotalEnergies contributed indirectly to financing the conflict. This ruling underscores ongoing legal and public scrutiny of oil companies' roles in geopolitical conflicts and environmental harm. Separately, environmental groups have initiated a landmark trial against TotalEnergies in Paris, accusing the company of greenwashing by misleading consumers about its climate commitments and transition away from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, other climate-related lawsuits have seen dismissals, including cases against German energy firms and state agencies for alleged violations of climate laws.
TotalEnergies in landmark greenwashing trial in France https://t.co/7xdD8Dga07
Environmental groups took TotalEnergies to court Thursday in a landmark Paris trial, accusing the French oil and gas giant of misleading consumers with ads that overstate its climate commitments and fossil fuel transition. https://t.co/HALLjtRV5x
Judge dismisses lawsuit against state agencies for violating climate law https://t.co/tfGP6szv09