Greenpeace has asked the prefecture to immediately withdraw the palm oil import authorization granted to the La Mède refinery, near Marseille.
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Greenpeace accuses the French group TotalEnergies of concealing “the real effects on the climate” of its production of fuel based on palm oil imported from Asia at its refinery in La Mède (Bouches-du-Rhône). The environmental NGO has asked the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture to immediately withdraw the authorization to import fuel.
The energy company, which has pledged to no longer use palm oil from 2023, has always defended itself against accusations from NGOs by claiming that the oils purchased for La Mède correspond “to the sustainability criteria set by the European Union”.
But, according to Greenpeace, the palm oil imported by TotalEnergies “does not come from twenty mills”as the company claims, but “of a supply chain (…) which induces the mixing of certified and non-certified ingredients”and includes “the production of at least 268 mills”.
It also criticizes the method used by TotalEnergies to highlight the refinery’s emission reductions in plant-based fuel mode compared to fossil fuel mode.
“The La Mède site would emit 91% less CO2 (all types of emissions combined) than when it was refining fossil sources (before its conversion), in reality, our analysis shows that the current emissions from the biorefinery are, at least 13% higher if they are related, as it is logical to do, to the ton of fuel produced”says the NGO.