Chaumont-Gistoux (Belgium), November 19 (askanews) – In Belgium, a farmer, supported by three NGOs, has sued TotalEnergies in civil court to have the oil group recognized as liable for agricultural losses caused by increasingly frequent extreme weather events. This is the first “climate” lawsuit in Belgium against a major company in the sector.
Hugues Falys, farmer and union member, recalls recent years characterized by heavy rains and prolonged drought, which had a major impact on crops and livestock.
“In recent years we have seen a series of extraordinary climate events: in 2016 a stationary storm destroyed strawberry and potato crops, and in 2018, 2020 and 2022 droughts drastically reduced animal feed production, forcing us to buy from outside and, ultimately, reducing livestock numbers.”
Falys and the NGOs want the courts to implement a change in course: “We ask the justice system to force TotalEnergies to review its practices, stop seeking new sources of fossil fuels and redirect the multinational corporation’s vast profits toward the search for new energy.”
The initiative, Falys claims, aims to achieve real results. “This process is not a symbolic act. It truly has the ambition to change ‘carbon major’ practices, just as other processes in the world aim to change the behavior of the planet’s main polluters.”
TotalEnergies assumes no responsibility and denies any direct connection between its activities and the reported damage. His trial was held in Tournai, with trials scheduled until December. The decision will be taken in 2026.
