Share

NGOs lose case against Norway over Arctic oil exploration

Oslo - A Norwegian court on Thursday dismissed a case by Greenpeace and two other NGOs which sued Norway, western Europe's largest oil producer, over licences it awarded in 2016 for oil prospecting in the Arctic.

In a verdict which could be appealed, the Oslo court ruled that the Norwegian state did not violate the Constitution by granting in May 2016 exploration licences to 13 companies, including the national Statoil giant, Americans Chevron and ConocoPhillips, and Russia's Lukoil, in the Barents Sea.

Greenpeace, the environmentalist group Natur og Ungdom (Nature and Youth) and the Grandparents Climate Campaign accused Norway of violating the Paris Agreement on climate change signed by Oslo in 2016 and a section of the country's constitution amended in 2014 that guarantees the right to a healthy environment.

The plaintiffs argued that the authorisation of new oil activities in the fragile Arctic region was against the Paris agreement which aims to keep global warming temperature rises below two degrees Celsius.

The Oslo court said it recognises everyone's right to a healthy environment but concluded that the granting of oil exploration licenses was no violation of the constitution.

The judge ruled that Norway could not be held responsible for CO2 emissions caused by hydrocarbons which it exports to other countries.

The Nordic country is the largest producer of oil and natural gas in western Europe.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 522 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 735 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.92
+0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.87
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.1%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE