Total Paris headquarters sprayed with paint after record earnings report

Climate activists poured red paint over the entrance to the TotalEnergies building in Paris, Report informs via TASS.

The incident occurred on Wednesday after the company published a report on a record net profit of $20.5 billion for 2022.

"Total is making exorbitant windfall profits even though the energy crisis has plunged France into uncertainty and 12 million French people live in fuel vulnerability," the Alternatiba association tweeted. "While the pension reform debate is underway and the deficit in pension savings could reach 12 billion, TotalEnergies is avoiding taxation and making record profits. The company uses crises, both economic and climatic, exacerbating them."

Besides, activists accuse the company of not actively developing renewable energy sources and focusing on fossil energy sources. In this regard, they are calling on the French government to take control of TotalEnergies and tax their excess profits.

TotalEnergies previously reported a record profit of $20.5 billion in 2022. This figure does not include lost profits due to the curtailment of activities in Russia, which cost about $15 billion. The company's CEO Patrick Pouyanne said the revenue growth was driven both by the company's favorable energy market environment and its unique position in Europe, as well as increase in hydrocarbon production (up 5%) and LNG sales (up 22%).