Fourteen French authorities and six campaign groups have asked a French court to order oil major Total to dramatically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, according to the campaign groups.
The lawsuit filed against Total comes as oil companies face growing pressure to act on climate change, said a report from Reuters.
The French campaign groups said in a statement the lawsuit was the first of its kind filed in France.
Total said it “regretted” the legal action taken and said it was working in compliance with national legal standards.
Under French law, large national companies are required to publish annual plans that address any adverse impact of their activities on people and the environment, said Reuters.
In their legal case, the six campaign groups said that Total’s activities failed to comply with the goal of limiting a rise in global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
