Norway's Top Court Invalidates Three Offshore Oilfield Approvals

Norway's Supreme Court on Friday ruled that three offshore oilfield development permits issued by the government were invalid due to a lack of environmental consideration, but said the decision would not impact the flow of oil and gas.

The case was decided on procedural grounds, and the government must now reconsider each case in accordance with the correct requirements to determine whether permits can still be issued or not, the court said.

The lawsuit brought by Greenpeace and Young Friends of the Earth, part of a global trend of challenging the oil industry in the courts, highlights the conflict between Norway's role as a petroleum producer and its international climate obligations.

The campaigners, who aim to block the expansion of Norway's petroleum industry, argued that the government failed to assess the climate impact from burning the fields' oil and gas, known as Scope 3 emissions, and that this made the permits invalid.

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