France: Climate protesters block TotalEnergies meeting
Several hundred climate protesters have disrupted a TotalEnergies shareholders meeting in Paris
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Several hundred climate protesters disrupted a TotalEnergies shareholders meeting in Paris and blocked the entrance to the gathering Wednesday to denounce the oil and gas giant’s stake in Russia despite Moscow's war in Ukraine.
TotalEnergies tweeted that due to activists impeding access to the meeting, “it unfortunately won’t be possible for our shareholders to join us.” It said interested viewers could follow the meeting on the company’s website.
Protesters representing Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and other environmental organizations denounced TotalEnergies for its huge presence in Russia as well as an oil pipeline project in Uganda and Tanzania that the protesters denounced as a “climate bomb.”
TotalEnergies, a subsidiary of Total, published in March its “principles of conduct” in Russia, which said the company would “gradually suspend its activities in Russia” and strictly comply with European Union sanctions “no matter what the consequences on the management of its assets in Russia.”
The statement said TotalEnergies does not operate oil or gas fields or liquified natural gas plants in Russia but has numerous stakes in various Russian companies. It said the company continues supplying Europe with liquefied natural gas from a plant in Russia's Yamal Peninsula to honor long-term contracts “as long as Europe’s governments consider that Russian gas is necessary.”
___
Follow AP's coverage of climate issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate and of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine