the court of Marseille validates the new impact study of Total
This Wednesday, July 13, the administrative court of Marseille considered that the prefectural judgment of the biorefinery of Mde (Bouches-du-Rhône), based on the new impact study of the operator Totalnergies, it was regulardeplore the associations Greenpeace and France Nature Environnement, which will appeal this decision.
This hearing follows a first court judgment, delivered on April 1, 2021, which ordered the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture to modify the May 16, 2018 shutdown of the La Mde site. The jurisdiction required, in addition to the limitation of the quantity of palm oil imported, the realization by the oil group of a new study including the climatic impacts of the refinery.
In a press release, the two applicant associations regret the decision of the Marseille administrative court which opens the door wide to the opacity of manufacturers on their method of calculating greenhouse gas emissions and to cheat the courts by waving sustainability certificates.
Totalnergies has decided to stop importing palm oil to the La Mde site from January 2023. However, the refinery will continue to be supplied with imported crude vegetable oils (rapeseed, sunflower, soya), the cultivation of which will compete with food production. Its impact on the climate is therefore still relevant, point the finger at environmental associations.
Article published on July 13, 2022