A Norwegian appeals court has ruled in favour of the government, dismissing an attempt by environmental organisations to block the development of three offshore oil and gas fields.
Greenpeace and other groups had filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the projects, citing concerns over the environmental impact and links to global climate change.
The legal case was initially decided in January by a lower court, which ruled that Norway’s Ministry of Energy had not adequately evaluated the climate effects of emissions associated with the future use of oil and gas from the fields. These emissions, known as scope three emissions, refer to those produced when the extracted oil and gas are eventually consumed.
In response, the lower court issued temporary injunctions, halting further development of the Yggdrasil, Tyrving, and Breidablikk fields.
In March, the appeals court decided to pause the injunctions, allowing Aker BP and Equinor, the operators of the fields, to continue their activities while the legal process continued. Later on, in September, the Norwegian government formally requested the appeals court to remove the injunctions entirely, as part of its broader appeal against the initial ruling.
On Monday, the appeals court confirmed that the injunctions would not be reinstated, with the court’s decision giving particular attention to issues of democratic process and the appropriate role of judicial review.
In its ruling, the court said: “The concrete decisions to deal with the climate crisis, including a possible shutdown of petroleum activities, must primarily be made by parliament and the government.”
Norway, which derives a significant portion of its gross domestic product from oil and gas production, has stated that it plans to continue extracting hydrocarbons for the foreseeable future, while claiming compliance with international climate agreements, including the Paris Agreement.
Production at the Equinor-operated Breidablikk field in the North Sea commenced in October 2023. Located in the North Sea’s Alvheim area, the Tyrving field, which is operated by Aker BP, began production in September 2023.
Both Breidablikk and Tyrving have faced opposition from environmental groups.
