"A South African advertising regulator found TotalEnergies SE made a “misleading” claim over its commitment to sustainable development, marking the first time a challenge of this kind has been made in the country.

Fossil Free SA argued TotalEnergies is “lying to the public” about the nature of its business in a complaint filed with the Advertising Regulatory Board. The environmental group cited a promotion involving South African National Parks in which the French oil major states it’s “committed to sustainable development and environmental protection,” according to a copy of the document.

In a response to the complaint, TotalEnergies said the post was a corporate communication, not an advertisement, and should not be subject to such a review. It also listed examples of renewable energy projects and environmental impact assessments that it said demonstrated such a commitment. The company didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking additional comment."

Paul Burkhardt reports for Bloomberg Green August 21, 2024. [2]