The StopEACOP coalition has welcomed the opening of France’s first major climate trial against oil and gas giant TotalEnergies, describing the proceedings as a landmark moment for global climate accountability.
The case, which opened on Thursday at the Paris Court of Justice, arises from a 2020 lawsuit filed by advocacy organisations including Notre Affaire à Tous, Sherpa and France Nature Environnement, alongside the City of Paris. The groups are seeking a court order compelling the multinational to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and scale down hydrocarbon production.
The StopEACOP coalition criticised French prosecutors for supporting the company’s position that the country’s duty of vigilance law should not apply to climate change. StopEACOP Campaign Coordinator Zaki Mamdoo described the move as an attempt to shield a major oil producer from legal accountability over its environmental impact.
TotalEnergies, considered one of the world’s largest historical emitters of greenhouse gases, reportedly plans to increase production by about three percent annually while maintaining most of its investments in fossil fuels until at least 2030. Activists argue that the company’s expansion strategy contradicts scientific recommendations aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
In response, TotalEnergies has rejected the claims, maintaining that it cannot be held solely responsible for a global crisis shaped by complex energy systems and consumer demand. While acknowledging its role in hydrocarbon production, the company insists that responsibility for emissions linked to fuel consumption largely rests with end users.
Among the projects drawing scrutiny is the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a 1,443-kilometre pipeline designed to transport crude oil from oilfields in Uganda to the Port of Tanga in Tanzania. The project is being developed by TotalEnergies and China National Offshore Oil Corporation and is expected to begin exports in 2026.
However, the pipeline has faced sustained criticism over environmental and human rights concerns, as well as delays after several global financial institutions distanced themselves from the project. Community representatives along the pipeline route claim that families have been displaced and livelihoods disrupted.
Balach Bakundane, a community organiser with the EACOP Host Communities Organisation, said affected residents continue to experience the project’s social and economic consequences and hope the court proceedings will hold the company accountable.
The hearing comes six years after the case was initially filed, following a series of procedural challenges by TotalEnergies. It also coincides with another legal action brought by Ugandan claimants and civil society groups under France’s duty of vigilance framework.
Climate activists say the trial represents a critical moment in global climate litigation, as courts increasingly recognise climate change as a threat to fundamental human rights. Recent advisory opinions from institutions such as the International Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights have reinforced the responsibility of both states and corporations to prevent foreseeable climate harm.
For the first time in France, judges will consider whether an oil and gas multinational can be legally compelled to reduce fossil fuel production rather than merely disclose risks or adopt voluntary climate targets. Legal observers say the outcome could influence similar cases worldwide and reshape corporate climate obligations.
Environmental and human rights lawyer Brighton Aryampa of Youth for Green Communities in Uganda noted that the ruling could have far-reaching consequences, particularly for communities along the EACOP route, urging the court to ensure that legal protections translate into meaningful safeguards on the ground.
A decision in the case is expected to set an important precedent for future climate litigation, potentially shifting global legal focus from governments to corporate actors in the fight against climate change.
