On the 18th January this year, a Norwegian court upheld a case taken by Greenpeace Norway and Young Friends of the Earth Norway, and ruled that approvals of three new oil and gas fields were invalid because they were not in accordance with Norwegian law or with a European Directive. The case centred on whether Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from the development should have been assessed in an Environmental Impact Assessment, whether the GHG from the USE of the fuel should be included as an indirect effect, and whether that actually added to global GHG or not.
This will sound very familiar to SLACC members and supporters. The UK Supreme Court considered a similar issue at a Hearing in June 2023, and the Cumbria coal case will be scheduled once the Supreme Court announces it’s decision. Will the arguments and rulings from Norway change our prospects?