Total SE: Navigating Ethics After the Myanmar Coup

In February 2021, following Myanmar’s military coup, Total SE (Total)'s chief executive officer faced a critical decision regarding the company’s long-standing operations in the country. The Yadana gas project, providing 50 per cent of Bangkok’s electricity needs and representing a profitable venture for Total (renamed TotalEnergies in 2022), suddenly became an ethical dilemma as military rule returned to Myanmar. The coup overthrew the democratically elected government, with the junta’s violent response resulting in multiple civilian deaths.

The case explores three decades of Total’s operations in Myanmar, from its initial entry during military rule in the 1990s, through periods of political reform, to its positioning as a responsible energy company with sustainability commitments. Students examine the tension between maintaining a profitable business operation that supplies critical energy infrastructure and the ethical implications of funding an authoritarian regime through payments to military-controlled entities.