French energy giant TotalEnergies says it will reassess its long-term climate ambitions after concluding that the global pathway required to hit carbon neutrality by 2050 is no longer realistic under current conditions.
In its latest sustainability update, the company acknowledged that the pace at which the world is moving away from oil and gas is too slow to meet the temperature targets set under the Paris Agreement. Executives said scientific assessments now suggest the 1.5°C warming limit central to European regulatory expectations for corporate net-zero plans is likely out of reach.
Aurélien Hamelle, TotalEnergies’ president for sustainability and strategy, said the firm cannot design a transition plan that complies with European rules if those rules require strict alignment with a 1.5°C scenario that experts believe is no longer achievable.
The company previously pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 alongside society, but it now says that ambition must be revisited to reflect current realities in technology development, public policy, and consumer behavior.
TotalEnergies stressed that its ability to cut emissions depends heavily on how quickly economies, governments, and customers reduce reliance on hydrocarbons. As a result, it said its pathway to net zero will need to evolve with changes in the global energy system rather than follow a fixed trajectory.
Other European oil majors, including BP and Shell, have similarly tied their 2050 climate commitments to the speed of the broader energy transition, particularly the reduction in demand for fossil fuels.
TotalEnergies reported emissions of 368 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent in 2025, largely from so-called Scope 3 emissions generated when customers burn the fuels it sells. This figure was slightly lower than the 376 million tons recorded in 2024 and remains within the company’s target of keeping such emissions below 400 million tons through 2030.
The French group did not clarify whether it plans to set new 2050 targets or abandon the net-zero objective entirely, but said its climate strategy would be adjusted over time to align with the evolution of the energy transition worldwide.
