Norway appeals oilfield ruling to Supreme Court
The Norwegian government asked the supreme court to overturn a lower court ruling that invalidated permits for three oilfields. Environmental groups argue officials failed to assess climate impacts. A final verdict is expected later this year.
Norway appealed to its supreme court on Monday morning to overturn a lower-court ruling that invalidated operating permits for three major offshore oilfields. The four-day legal battle centers on climate impact assessments and pits environmental groups against the petroleum sector. The outcome threatens to reshape approval processes for future oil and gas projects in Norway.
Lower courts previously ruled in favor of Greenpeace and Young Friends of the Earth, finding that authorities failed to evaluate Scope 3 emissions resulting from the combustion of oil and gas. The contested assets include EQUINOR ASA's Breidablikk field alongside AKER BP ASA's Tyrving and Yggdrasil developments. Breidablikk and Tyrving are currently in production, while Yggdrasil is scheduled to come on stream next year.
