Environmental and civil society organizations staged a protest in Paris ahead of TotalEnergies’ Annual General Meeting (AGM), calling on the French government to end financial and political support for the energy giant’s fossil fuel projects.
The demonstration, organized by Attac, Avaaz, 350.org, and Action Justice Climat Paris, featured a symbolic display portraying French President Emmanuel Macron channeling taxpayer money into TotalEnergies, while highlighting the company’s profits and controversial projects, including the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and the Mozambique LNG development.
The groups argued that despite earning billions in profits, TotalEnergies continues to benefit from public support and investment mechanisms linked to French citizens’ savings. They urged the government to halt backing for new oil and gas projects and introduce a tax on excess fossil fuel profits.
The protest followed the publication of a report by Earth Insight that raised concerns about the environmental and social impacts of the EACOP project on communities, wetlands, protected areas, and water resources in the Lake Victoria Basin.
Campaigners also criticized France’s stance on taxing fossil fuel windfall profits, noting that several European countries have already introduced such measures. They argued that redirecting revenue from excess profits toward climate action and public support programs would help address rising living costs and accelerate the energy transition.
The organizations further called for greater corporate accountability, claiming that continued public support for fossil fuel expansion is incompatible with France’s climate commitments and long-term environmental goals.
