Belgian farmer sues French energy giant for damage caused by climate change

Tournai: A Belgian farmer is facing off against oil giant TotalEnergies in court on Wednesday, arguing the French company should pay for damage caused by climate change, in the latest lawsuit by environmental activists against big energy companies.

Ahead of the hearing, Hugues Falys told a crowd of some 50 supporters, who had turned up in the cold rain, that he brought his claim “to force TotalEnergies to change its practices” and make its operations less harmful “for society in general and agriculture in particular.” The lawsuit, backed by environmental organisation Greenpeace, seeks financial compensation and demands TotalEnergies reduce its oil and gas production to slow the greenhouse gas emissions that warm the planet.

The company did not reply to a request for comment but in other litigation has said it has already cut emissions and is investing in greener energy sources. Worldwide, environmental groups and individual citizens have brought nearly 100 cases against major oil producers including BP, Exxon Mobil and Shell in the last two decades. A 2023 report by the United Nations Environment Programme found that the number of lawsuits had doubled in the previous five years. None have, so far, resulted in any company being forced to pay for damages directly related to climate change.

“We think it’s time that the impunity of big polluters like TotalEnergies, that still exists today, ends and it has to end in court,” Joeri Thijs of Greenpeace Belgium told reporters ahead of

Wednesday’s hearing.