Climate change victims are suing Total Energies and its shareholders for “involuntary manslaughter” and “endangering others”.

Elisa and William C.-R., 38 and 28, lost their mother in October 2020 in the floods that devastated the Vesuvius Valley (Alpes-Maritimes) during Storm Alex. Benjamin VP R., 17, failed to save his friend Rosa who drowned during the violent floods that hit Belgium in July 2021. Frank M. from Super Typhoon Roy, one of the destroyers in Philippine history. Escaped in December 2021: His house was damaged and he has been worried ever since. Alexandros Kay and his family survived the fires and heatwaves that ravaged Greece in the summer of 2021… there are eight of them, and all of them have experienced the ravages of climate change. They are today demanding accountability from French company TotalEnergies “Higher Responsibility” In global warming.

Along with three civil society organizations (Bloom, Planetary Health Alliance and Nuestro Futuro), they were due to file a complaint against X at the Paris Judicial Court on Tuesday, May 21. Complaint, that is the world Able to consult, targeting four crimes: “murder”, “danger to others”, “avoidance of combating a disaster” and “attack on biodiversity”. “As we face global warming, if the law does not take this matter to prevent crime, we will not be able to get out of it” Claire Nouvian, director general of the NGO Bloom, estimates. The date chosen to launch this legal action was not chosen at random: the oil and gas major, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, is scheduled to hold its general meeting on Friday, May 24.

In the Vesuvius Valley, William C.-R. It took thirteen days to find his mother’s body. “We shouldn’t wait to be hit hard, like I was, to act against global warming. He explains. Total Energies is gearing up to launch about fifteen new fossil fuel projects. It is incomprehensible. » According to Scientific studiesWarming increases the frequency and intensity of storms like the one in October 2020. This favors extreme events such as heat waves, hurricanes or fires.

Expansion strategy

It is …), a complaint against persons holding more than a quarter of the capital of the group. During public meetings, they formally voted in favor of Total Energies’ proposed climate strategy and rejected resolutions calling for more ambitious commitments in the fight against global warming. “Through this complaint, three days before the general meeting, we want to put the sword of Damocles on the heads of shareholders and tell them that they cannot quietly reject climate-friendly resolutions”Claire Novian insists.

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