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The Climate Litigation Database
Litigation

Friends of the Earth et al. v. Prefect of of Bouches-du-Rhône and Total

Date
2018
Geography

About this case

Documents

Filing Date
Type
Document
Summary
04/01/2021
Decision
Decision partially invalidating biorefinery permit (in French)

Summary

On April 1, 2021, the Administrative Court of Marseille partially invalidated Total's permit to operate a biorefinery in France and directed the company to study the climate impacts of imported palm oil. NGO plaintiffs alleged that the Prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, in authorizing the continued operation of the refinery, failed to take into account the climate and other environmental impacts of palm oil production and use. The Court agreed that the decision authorizing the operation of the plant relied on insufficient information on climate impacts, and ordered a new study on the cumulative direct and indirect climate effects of the biorefinery project.