The company maintains that climate change is a global phenomenon rather than a specific risk manageable under French corporate vigilance statutes. By appealing the decision, management seeks to defend the principle of legal certainty, asserting that energy firms cannot dictate how individual motorists choose to fuel their vehicles. According to the firm, forcing manufacturers to control the downstream emissions of their products conflicts with the fundamental freedom to conduct business.

This legal battle highlights a growing trend of climate litigation across Europe. Shell has navigated similar judicial scrutiny for years, recently securing a significant victory in a Dutch appellate court that overturned a 2021 order to slash its greenhouse gas emissions. As environmental organizations continue to pressure energy majors to halt the development of new oil and gas fields, the outcome of the TotalEnergies appeal will likely set a critical precedent for how European courts interpret corporate accountability for global climate goals.