The decision by a Paris court Thursday was hailed by environmental activists as the first such ruling against a major oil company for climate misinformation.

But TotalEnergies said the court's findings concerned only three paragraphs referring to carbon-neutral goals on its website for French consumers.

Those paragraphs will be replaced by "a factual description of what TotalEnergies has undertaken to date" to reduce its emissions footprint, the company said in a statement, justifying its decision not to appeal.

The Paris court ruled TotalEnergies made claims on its French consumer website that "misled" consumers into believing it could achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 while increasing oil and gas production.

The plaintiffs -- three environmental groups -- took that legal route because "greenwashing", the act of exaggerating or distorting environmental credentials, is not specifically covered by French law.

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TotalEnergies