GREEN-WASHING! TotalEnergies on spot for lying to the world about going green with fake “clean energy, climate gospel” while swimming in crude oil profits

The French oil beast TotalEnergies — famous for its glossy green ads and “net-zero by 2050” sermons — has been caught pants down!

A Paris court has ruled that the company LIED to consumers about being a “leader in the energy transition.” Translation? The oil giant was selling dreams of solar panels while drilling harder than ever for crude.

The historic ruling, delivered in late October 2025, marks the first time a fossil fuel titan has been legally nailed in France for greenwashing — the art of pretending to be eco-friendly while quietly torching the planet.

“WE’RE SAVING THE PLANET” — WITH GAS & OIL?!

The case, filed by Greenpeace France, Friends of the Earth, and Notre Affaire à Tous, accused TotalEnergies of straight-up deception.

Their argument? Simple. You can’t call yourself a “clean energy champion” while over 90% of your Shs900 trillion ($240 billion) income comes from oil and gas.

Yet that’s exactly what the company did. With fancy adverts, rainbow logos, and slogans like “On the path to net zero”, TotalEnergies painted itself as a climate saint — while still pumping crude in Qatar, Mozambique, Uganda, and the U.S.

The judges weren’t amused. They ruled that TotalEnergies’ climate claims violated French consumer protection laws and ordered the firm to: Delete misleading slogans, Publish the ruling on its website for 180 days and Pay fines (modest, but embarrassing).

“GREEN” WORDS, DIRTY REALITY

Court documents revealed that even after rebranding from Total to TotalEnergies in 2021, the company’s core business stayed the same: oil, gas, and more gas.

Out of its total investments, less than 10% went into renewables. The rest went into new oil rigs, LNG plants, and petrochemicals.

“The logo changed. The business didn’t,” one activist joked outside court.

WHEN WORDS BECOME EVIDENCE

The court didn’t punish TotalEnergies for pollution — but for false advertising.

It ruled that when a company markets itself as a clean-energy pioneer, it must actually be one.

That means green slogans are now regulated promises, not PR fluff.

This legal bombshell could ripple across the world. From Canada to the UK to the EU, regulators are sharpening knives for companies that sell “eco dreams” while banking on fossil fuels.

 “NET ZERO”? MORE LIKE “NET PROFITS”

CEO Patrick Pouyanné, the sharp-tongued boss of TotalEnergies, has long defended the “balanced” approach — calling natural gas a “transition fuel.”

But critics say it’s all spin:

“You can’t claim to save the climate while building gas empires that lock in emissions for 30 years,” said one lawyer.

Indeed, TotalEnergies’ own forecasts show rising oil and gas production until 2030 — the exact opposite of what scientists demand to hit the 1.5°C target.

GREEN MASK SLIPS OFF

The Paris ruling exposes what activists have whispered for years: the “energy transition” talk is just corporate cosmetics.

BP, Shell, Equinor — all singing the same song: “We’re changing,” while drilling nonstop.

Now, courts are starting to ask the real question: Can you claim to transform while your money still flows from oil?

LEGAL EARTHQUAKE INCOMING

The ripple effect is real. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has also hinted that governments could soon be held accountable for state-owned oil giants.

That means even Aramco, Petrobras, and China National Petroleum could face heat — not for spilling oil, but for lying about saving the planet.

BOTTOM LINE: THE ERA OF “FAKE GREEN” IS ENDING

TotalEnergies may appeal, but the stain won’t wash off.

The company must display the court’s ruling for six months — a global green scarlet letter.

The verdict sends a message louder than any advert: If your climate claims don’t match your drilling plans, you’re not going green — you’re going to court.

TAGLINE:

Green Talk, Black Oil.

Paris Just Called the Bluff.

The Planet’s Patience Has Run Out.