TotalEnergies are being sued over its responsibility for climate change in a case that could have global repercussions.

In Belgium’s first-ever such case, Hugues Falys is suing the fuel company for its climate change responsibility. Three NGOs are supporting the case; FIAN, Greenpeace and the International Federation for Human Rights; that was started in 2024.

Falys, a farmer in Belgium and pioneer of the agro-ecological transition, took legal action in the Tournai Commercial Court, on the border with France, against TotalEnergies for its responsibility for climate change.

"Climate change is having a tangible impact on my work and life: yield losses, extra work, and the stress that comes from dealing with a disrupted crop calendar", said Hugues Falys. "My profession is intimately linked to the climate. In recent years, climate change has caused farmers a great deal of damage and left us uncertain about the future."

The case not only seeks to get recognition for the damages suffered by Falys, but also to ensure TotalEnergies’s compliance with the targets of the Paris Agreement. The case asks the court to request TotalEnergies to implement a credible transition plan, which includes a halt to new investments in fossil fuel projects.

A verdict was expected on 18 March, but the ruling has now been delayed until 9 September.

In itself, the potential damages that might be reclaimed are not significant, but when put in the context of other test cases globally, and the potential for more claims in future, it seems that litigation is something that will not go away for fossil fuel companies, or governments.

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