Environmental activists challenge oil field permits in Norwegian court once more
In a significant development, environmental groups in Norway are challenging the operations of three offshore oil fields - Tyrving, Breidablikk, and Yggdrasil - due to insufficient consideration of CO2 emissions in their permits. The appeals court ruling, scheduled for September 4, 2024, could potentially halt or require a reconsideration of these projects.
The lower court had previously barred the state from making decisions related to these fields, halting their production and development, until all legal channels had been exhausted. This ruling was a response to the judgement in January 2024, where the Oslo district court declared the permits for these sites as invalid.
The Norwegian Oil and Gas Ministry, which awarded the permits, has appealed the verdict, arguing that no procedural errors occurred and there is no reason to stop the projects. The ministry maintains that it is up to elected politicians to determine Norway's energy and climate policy.
Meanwhile, the operators of the fields, Equinor and Aker BP, have conducted additional impact studies to address concerns raised in the lower court's ruling.
The case forms part of a growing number of legal battles over climate change. In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that climate change is an "urgent and existential threat" and countries have a legal duty to prevent harm from their planet-warming pollution. The ICJ also stated that a state's failure to take appropriate action to protect the climate system, including fossil fuel production, consumption, and exploration licensing, may constitute an internationally wrongful act.
Greenpeace's Frode Pleym compared the moves by Norwegian authorities to US President Donald Trump, suggesting they were putting themselves above the country's own laws. Pleym also argued that post-fact assessments are not effective.
The environmental groups have called for all three fields to be stopped immediately. They cite experts who claim that the total greenhouse gas emissions from the three fields alone would lead to "around 109,100 deaths linked to heat by 2100" and reduce the size of glaciers worldwide by "6.6 billion cubic metres".
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Norway has played a crucial role as a stable energy supplier to Europe. The focus, however, should be on quantifying the real emissions and their impact on human lives, nature, and the climate.
Yggdrasil, whose reserves were recently revised upwards, is due to begin producing in 2027. Breidablikk and Tyrving are currently operational. The state has argued that the economic, social, and industrial consequences of a temporary halt would be disproportionate.
The case underscores the complexities and tensions between energy production, climate change, and the rule of law. As Pleym stated, the rule of law is under threat in some countries, but Norway remains a solid democracy.
This article provides a factual account of the ongoing legal battle over the Tyrving, Breidablikk, and Yggdrasil offshore oil fields in Norway. The outcome of the appeals court ruling on September 4, 2024, will have significant implications for Norway's energy policy and its commitment to addressing climate change.
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