At the Paris Judicial Court, expert Fabien Roques presented a defense for TotalEnergies in its climate change lawsuit, arguing that responsibility for climate change lies solely with states, not individual companies. Roques, an engineer and economist from FTI Consulting, stated that companies are free to make their own choices and that the issue of climate change is not one of shared responsibility. This contrasts with previous expert testimony from Giec report co-authors, who emphasized the necessity of net-zero emissions and highlighted the role of major greenhouse gas emitters like TotalEnergies. The core of the legal debate centers on whether companies' duty of vigilance, mandated by a 2017 law, includes accounting for customer CO2 emissions. Roques attributed rising energy demand and consumption to economic growth and demographics, asserting that a lack of public policies, not corporate supply, is the primary issue. The court is expected to deliver its judgment in March.