Norway’s top court rules oil licenses invalid in landmark ruling

Norway’s Supreme Court ruled that government approvals for three North Sea oil field projects were invalid because their environmental assessments did not account for emissions from burning the extracted oil. The decision backs climate campaigners and may influence legal challenges to fossil fuel projects internationally, as it requires governments to consider emissions across the full lifecycle of production.

The case was brought in 2023 by Young Friends of the Earth Norway and Greenpeace Norway, and was heard by 11 judges. The fields are Tyrving, Breidablikk and Yggdrasil; the first two are already producing, while Yggdrasil is due to start in 2027. The ruling does not automatically cancel the licences or stop operations, but the Energy Ministry must reassess the approvals using a proper environmental review.