– This lawsuit is about us having an enlightened democracy, and a real opportunity to participate in processes that concern us. When the state makes decisions that affect the future of young people living today, and for many generations to come, they absolutely have to do so with all the facts on the table. It is a completely natural principle, and it is embarrassing that the state wants to appeal something like this, says Gytis Blaževičius, head of Nature and Youth. Ready for a rematch – We had hoped that the state would be mature enough and accept that they lost on all points in the Oslo District Court. We have no reason to believe that the outcome in the Court of Appeal will be any different. That’s what Greenpeace leader Frode Pleym says. Leader of Nature and Youth, Gytis Blaževičius, and Frode Pleym, leader of Greenpeace. Photo: NTB – We believe we have a very good and important case. We take note of the appeal, and are ready to take on this rematch on behalf of both us and future generations. Pleym says that it will now take longer before the judgment in its entirety becomes legally binding. – However, the injunctions for the three fields are binding, which means that development and production must stop in all three fields regardless of a new round in court. The defendants, Greenpeace and Natur og Ungdom, faced the state in court at the end of November. They sued the state for breach of rules for planning the oil and gas fields Breidablikk, Yggdrasil and Tyrving in the North Sea. The organizations believed that the state had not investigated the consequences of the climate effects and combustion emissions from the new fields. The permits that had been granted for development were therefore illegal. They also demanded a temporary injunction, a temporary ban, on the extraction and development of the fields in question. Nor were any further decisions to be made regarding the development of new fields before a legally binding decision had been made. The organizations won, the state appealed. On 18 January, the verdict was handed down. It was a superior victory for the organizations. The court writes, among other things: “There has been no impact assessment of combustion emissions in connection with the decisions in question”. The court’s conclusion is: “The decisions on plans for the development and operation of petroleum deposits for Breidablikk, Yggdrasil and Tyrving are invalid”. The court also granted a temporary injunction against making new decisions on extraction. – Have followed up the Supreme Court judgment – We disagree with the judgment and ruling on temporary injunction, and have therefore decided to appeal. We disagree with the District Court that a procedural error has been made in these three cases, writes Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) in a press release on Wednesday. Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap) Photo: ntb – We believe that the proceedings have been in line with the regulations and the Supreme Court’s judgment from 2020. The state has followed up the Supreme Court judgment, and we are now also assessing combustion emissions when processing each individual development plan, writes Aasland. Required to assess climate consequences The case in the District Court was a continuation of the first climate lawsuit, which went all the way to the Supreme Court, from 2017–2020. The environmental organizations lost this case on all points. However, the environmental organizations believed they had one victory in the Supreme Court. In the judgment, it was established that the state must assess the global consequences for the climate before approving new oil projects. This is how much oil and emissions the fields account for Breidablikk A clean oil field in the North Sea, which was put into production in October 2023. Recoverable reserves are estimated at just over 30 million standard cubic meters of oil. Gross emissions from the field are around 87 million tonnes of CO2. Expected production period is 20 years until around 2044. Tyrving A clean oil field in the North Sea. The field is still considered to be under development. Production is expected to start in the first quarter of 2025. Recoverable reserves are estimated at around 4.1 million standard cubic meters of oil equivalent. Gross emissions are estimated at 11.3 million tonnes of CO2. Expected production time is 15 years until 2040. Yggdrasil Includes the Hugin, Munin and Fulla fields in the North Sea. These three fields consist of oil, gas and NGL. Production is expected to start in 2027. Recoverable reserves are estimated at around 140 million standard cubic meters of oil equivalent. Total gross emissions are estimated at 365 million tonnes of CO2. Expected production time is 25 years until 2052. Source: The verdict in the climate lawsuit All facts must be on the table Rødt’s environmental policy spokesperson, Sofie Marhaug, says that the appeal cannot be a resting pillow for the government. – The state is subject to a temporary injunction from making new decisions on these three fields. If there are several fields that have not been investigated thoroughly enough, we could face a huge scandal affecting over 20 oil fields, says Marhaug. – The government cannot withdraw from the climate crisis and the major consequences Norwegian oil policy has for the climate, says Lars Haltbrekken in SV. – Even if the state appeals, the injunction case is not lifted immediately. This means that the state still cannot issue any new permits. If they do, production must stop. Head of MDG, Arild Hermstad is convinced that the state will lose once more in court. – Norwegian oil policy does not withstand the climate test. We deserve a government that realizes this, says Hermstad.
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The state is appealing the verdict from the Oslo district court in the climate lawsuit – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
