ESG Enforcement Tracker

Perenco S.A. is a French multinational oil and gas company operating internationally, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it extracts significant volumes of crude oil.

In November 2022, following investigative reporting by Disclose, Investigate Europe and the Environmental Investigative Forum, French NGOs Sherpa and Friends of the Earth France brought a civil claim before the Paris judicial court seeking remediation of alleged environmental damage in the DRC. The claim focuses on extensive pollution linked to Perenco’s operations, including numerous incidents over a 15-year period affecting local ecosystems and human health.

After approximately four years of procedure, the Paris judicial court has confirmed that Perenco will be tried in France for “préjudice écologique” (environmental damage), with the trial expected in late 2026 or early 2027. The company faces potential civil liability, including fines and orders to repair environmental damage.

Recent evidence has reinforced the claimants’ allegations. A June 2025 report by a Congolese parliamentary commission, following an inspection of Perenco’s facilities, found that water was unsafe for consumption, soil degradation had rendered land infertile, and pollution had caused a progressive loss of biodiversity. The report also recorded health issues among local populations (including skin and eye irritation and reports of severe illness) and alleged that Perenco attempted to clean the site prior to inspection to conceal the impact of an accident.

Perenco denies the allegations and argues that it cannot be held liable in France for conduct attributed to its local subsidiary, Perenco REP. The NGOs contend that this reflects a broader strategy by the group to avoid accountability for environmental harm caused abroad. In parallel, a separate preliminary investigation by the French financial prosecutor concerns the allocation of interests in a Congolese oil concession.

The case therefore continues, now entering the trial phase, with potentially significant implications for corporate liability in respect of overseas environmental harm.