Norway: Top Court Starts Hearing on Arctic Offshore Exploration Blocks. Photo: A drilling rig in the Arctic
Supreme Court in Norway to begin Oil Drilling Hearing
By Patryk Krych | The World Daily | NOVEMBER 4th 2020
The Norwegian supreme court had begun a hearing on Wednesday that could potentially lead to a total freezing of the country’s oil drilling industrial expansion in the coming years, depending on the outcome.
The lawsuit hearing is primarily concerning the legality of the practice of distributing offshore licensing for oil companies, specifically for the Arctic areas. It’s been filed by the environmental groups ‘Greenpeace Norway’, as well as ‘Nature and Youth’ – a group consisting of environmentalists under the age of 25.
Norway is known to be a fairly wealthy country, but most of its wealth comes specifically from its expansive oil industry which has grown massively over the years. This is despite having very well renowned green credentials. The lawsuit comes as a challenge to the country’s environmentally damaging industry.
“The Constitution says that everyone has a right to healthy environment, and we will not secure it if we continue to drill for more oil,” said the head of Greenpeace Norway, Frode Pleym. “We do hope and expect the supreme court to rule in (our) favour.”
“We want to open up a bigger debate on oil,” Pleym added. “Of course, we want to win. It sounds like a cliché, but it’s not a loss even if we were formally to lose. It’s raising the issue up the public and political agenda.”
It was only a few months ago when the first battle, held in lower courts and headed by the Nature and Youth group against the country’s oil industry was tragically met with defeat when the 2016 decision to grant ten Arctic oil drilling licences to firms had been dubbed legal.
“The decision was made after thorough professional, administrative and political processes, which were fully in line with Norwegian law and the constitution,” said Norwegian governmental representative, Attorney General Fredrik Sejersted.
This court hearing, commencing on November 4, is expected to be the last of the court battles for the health of the environment on the part on the Nature and Youth group.
The battle will determine whether oil drilling in the Arctic is a violation of the constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, with over 550,000 backers having signed a petition that backs the environmentalists. Some famous backers have been found for the court case as well, including Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
