Description
The council of Paris has adopted a resolution in June 2023 to ban TotalEnergies from sponsoring the Rugby World Cup 2023, to be held in Paris 8 September - 28 October. Find the full translated text below and the official text here (in French). While their logo will still be visible as one of the sponsors, TotalEnergies is not allowed to have a booth nor have any advertising at World Cup events.
Resolution text to ban TotalEnergies from the Rugby World Cup 2023
- Given that TotalEnergies is the official sponsor of the Rugby World Cup 2023 to be held in Paris from 8 September to 28 October, allowing it to develop its reputation with the general public;
- Given TotalEnergies' historical responsibility in climate change, as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the CAC40 and one of the largest international emitters;
- Given that, despite the "climate" announcements, 90% of TotalEnergies' investment spending in 2015-2020 went to fossil fuels, according to Greenpeace and Reclaim Finance, which also estimate that gas and oil production alone will account for almost three-quarters of investment between 2026 and 2030;
- Considering TotalEnergies' pipeline projects, labelled a "climate bomb" by hundreds of researchers and tens of thousands of activists, like EACOP in Tanzania, also denounced by the European Parliament;
- Considering the human rights violations caused by these projects, as well as the destruction of natural areas;
- Considering the City of Paris has taken a stand against the presence of TotalEnergies in the partners of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games with regard to exemplary environmental issues, transparency and ethics;
- Considering in 2022, it joined a coalition of local authorities and associations in a lawsuit against the TotalEnergies group for breach of its duty of care;
- Considering Greenpeace's open letter of 6 April 2023 to the Chief Executive of Rugby World Cup 2023 reiterating this request;
- Considering the presence of giant TotalEnergies rugby balls at the Place de l'hôtel de ville on the occasion of the arrival of the "France 2023" train in Paris in November 2022, denounced by environmental protection associations;
- Considering the approval by the Paris Council in November 2021 of proposal No 353 regarding the eco-responsibility of events organised in public spaces, endorsing the creation of a working group to revise the charter for eco-responsible events;
- Considering the adoption by the Paris Council in December 2021 of a proposal regarding the City of Paris' support for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and its continued commitment to achieving the Paris Agreement's climate goals;
- Considering the petition initiated by Greenpeace "For a world free of oil and gas!" which has so far collected more than 200,000 signatures;
- Considering that the city of Paris is not a stakeholder in the choices for Rugby World Cup partnerships;
Chloé SAGASPE, Alexandre FLORENTIN, Alice TIMSIT, Émile MEUNIER, Jérôme GLEIZES, Aminata NIAKATÉ, Fatoumata KONÉ and elected officials of the group Les Écologistes, the Council of Paris express the wish that the City of Paris:
- Requests the organising committee of the Rugby World Cup to refuse sponsorship by TotalEnergies as a member of the Public Interest Group "France 2023";
- Not partner with events financed and sponsored by fossil fuel companies whose activities have a negative impact on the climate;
- Make sure that Total Energy will not be present at the Rugby Village at Place de la Concorde, or any other event organised in this context as part of the Rugby World Cup by the City of Paris;
- Make sure to involve elected officials of all political stripes as part of a working group to propose a revision of the charter for ecologically responsible events by the end of 2023.