Risk Management – TOTALENERGIES : Trois options, un dilemme (Décider en contexte géopolitique instable)

In August 2021, the swift fall of Kabul confronted TotalEnergies with an unprecedented strategic dilemma: should the company confirm, defer, or abandon a promising gas-and-mining project in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan? The case study takes learners behind the scenes at the Paris headquarters, where the Head of International Affairs commissions a consultancy to deliver, within thirteen days, a robust recommendation for the Executive Committee. Through scripted dialogues, USGS data and diplomatic cables, the narrative exposes the tension between the economic lure of a resource-rich subsurface (lithium, copper, gas) and an environment saturated with international sanctions, legal uncertainty and humanitarian risk. The accompanying teaching note clarifies the didactic intent: across eleven modular steps, students move from a PESTEL scan to quantitative risk ranking and visualisation via a Kiviat diagram, before defending a "Go / Wait / Exit" recommendation in front of their peers. Designed for Master's-to-MBA audiences, the sequence alternates individual work, collective intelligence and digital tools (ChatGPT, Mentimeter) to develop systems thinking, ethical awareness and mastery of cognitive biases. Learners produce several deliverables—a risk register, an executive memo, a mitigation plan and a five-minute advocacy video—assessed against a twelve-criterion rubric focused on strategic relevance and social responsibility. Taken together, "TotalEnergies – Three Options, One Dilemma" offers an immersive experience that blends geopolitical analysis, risk management and ESG responsibility, while familiarising students with contemporary AI-enhanced decision-support practices.