TotalEnergies SE is cited among major oil companies benefiting from a PR firm's engagements that indirectly support political figures opposing net zero targets, raising concerns about its role in shaping a political narrative aligned with fossil fuel interests.

On March 13, 2025, TotalEnergies SE benefited from a $4.7 billion U.S. loan approval for its liquefied gas project in Mozambique's troubled Cabo Delgado region. The project has drawn criticism for displacing local communities and its indirect ties to human rights abuses by security forces, raising significant ethical and economic concerns from an anti-fascist perspective.

The Senate Committee of Enquiry report criticized TotalEnergies for its lack of transparency in lobbying practices and the porous links between its executives and state machinery, raising concerns over potential complicity in bolstering authoritarian policies.

A Belgian farmer, supported by NGOs including FIDH, Greenpeace, and others, has filed a lawsuit against TotalEnergies for its alleged role in undermining effective climate policies and spreading misinformation about climate change, calling for a transition plan in line with the Paris Agreement.

Assessment of TotalEnergies' political contributions and lobbying efforts reveals a concerning level of influence, marked by $500,000 spent on lobbying in the 2024 cycle and a revolving door where a majority of lobbyists have held government positions.

An investigation by Global Witness alleges that TotalEnergies and its contractors have intimidated communities affected by the EACOP pipeline in Uganda and Tanzania, pressuring locals into undervalued compensation deals and potentially colluding with state authorities to suppress dissent.

Twenty-six Ugandans, along with aid groups, have filed a lawsuit in Paris accusing TotalEnergies of causing severe harm to local communities through its Tilenga and EACOP projects, including violations of land rights and food security. The complaint highlights issues of forced or coerced land expropriations and harassment of dissenting voices, painting a grim picture of the company's business practices.

In June 2023, legal action was launched in Paris accusing TotalEnergies of violating people's property rights and the right to food in Uganda. The allegations focus on the company's Tilenga and East African Crude Oil Pipeline projects, arguing that its failure to comply with the French Duty of Vigilance Law has harmed local communities through lack of compensation and damaged property rights.

The article reveals that TotalEnergies spent $240,000 on lobbying efforts in 2022, which may have supported political processes that align with authoritarian trends. The money spent on lobbying could allow the firm to influence policy decisions in favor of corporate interests potentially at the expense of democratic transparency.