Environmental groups sue Norwegian state for violating the country’s constitution and human rights commitments

Two environmental organizations, Greenpeace Nordic and Natur og Ungdom (Nature and Youth or Young Friends of the Earth Norway), have announced their intention to sue the Norwegian state for breaching the country’s constitution and international human rights obligations. The lawsuit comes in response to Norway’s recent approval of three offshore oilfields and several new oil and gas projects worth approximately $19 billion.

The environmental groups are seeking a court injunction to immediately halt the ongoing development of three Norwegian offshore oilfields: Equinor’s Breidablikk and Aker BP’s Yggdrasil and Tyrving fields. They argue that these recent approvals violate both the Norwegian constitution and the country’s international human rights commitments, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

This legal action follows a previous lawsuit filed by the environmental groups in 2020, which contested the planned development of new oilfields approved by the government. Both Greenpeace and Nature and Youth have long sought judicial intervention to challenge Norway’s oil and gas production.

The recent lawsuit comes just one day after Norway’s petroleum and energy ministry granted approval for 19 additional oil and gas fields valued at over 200 billion Norwegian crowns ($18.5 billion).

The environmental groups claim that the government has failed to adequately assess the global impact of the three oilfields in question (Yggdrasil, Tyrving, and Breidablikk), asserting that the assessments conducted were either insufficient or non-existent, thereby rendering the approvals invalid. They demand that development activities cease until the court evaluates the legal basis of the approvals.

Frode Pleym, the head of Greenpeace Norway, criticized the Norwegian government, accusing it of prioritizing the interests of the oil industry over the environment, climate science, and even the decisions of the Supreme Court.

Norway is the largest oil-producing nation in Western Europe and a major supplier of natural gas to the continent. The government has argued that its petroleum resources are essential for Europe’s energy security.

State Secretary and Energy Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, responding to the lawsuit, expressed confidence that the recent project approvals are legally sound but acknowledged the right of environmental organizations to pursue legal action. Eriksen emphasized that the government is committed to fulfilling its obligations under the Paris Agreement while ensuring energy security during the transition to renewable sources.