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

Picture taken on November 13, 2026 shows Norway's Supreme Court in Oslo as it is ruling in a climate lawsuit. TERJE PEDERSEN / AFP Norway's Supreme Court on Friday, November 13, ruled that three oil licenses granted by the government in the North Sea were invalid since their emissions impact had not adequately been accounted for. The court agreed with climate campaigners, who challenged the validity of the licenses, arguing that the environmental impact assessments had not considered the emissions from burning the oil after it had been extracted.

"This is a historic victory for the climate and for Norwegian democracy," Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle, head of the Norwegian wing of Greenpeace, told AFP shortly after the ruling was announced. For the highly anticipated decision, the court sat in plenary formation, meaning that 11 judges took part instead of the usual five – a format reserved for important cases. The campaigners had already won victories in two lower-court rulings. The high court ruled that the plans for extraction and expansion were "invalid due to procedural errors."

It noted in a statement that while emissions assessments were carried out, they only covered so-called production emissions and not the subsequent "combustion emissions." According to the court, "the combustion emissions resulting from petroleum production must be subject to an impact assessment" before a plan is approved. "Big polluters are now forced to admit exactly how much they will contribute to the climate crisis that we are in the middle of," Tjeldflaat Helle said.

Closely watched The ruling will be closely watched beyond the borders of the Scandinavian country by the many legal experts and NGOs who have challenged production licenses granted to oil companies on climate grounds. New Le Monde’s app Get the most out of your experience: download the app to enjoy Le Monde in English anywhere, anytime Download Young Friends of the Earth Norway and the Norwegian branch of Greenpeace filed the case in 2023 against the permits for the Tyrving, Breidablikk and Yggdrasil fields.

In January 2024, a district court ruled in their favor, prompting Norway's Ministry of Energy to lodge an appeal. The ruling was then upheld by a court of appeal in November 2025. The Energy Ministry argued there were no grounds to halt the projects. Operations were allowed to continue at the three contested North Sea fields while the energy ministry appealed the rulings. Breidablikk and Tyrving are currently operational, while Yggdrasil – whose potential reserves were recently revised upward – is due to start producing in 2027.

The Supreme Court noted that the oil companies were not parties in the case and said the fact the approvals had been declared invalid did not automatically mean the licenses ceased to apply. "The ministry must, however, reassess the case on the basis of proper procedure," the court said. Norway's energy ministry had maintained that it has carried out adequate environmental assessments for the North Sea licenses. Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland stressed ahead of the ruling that his country is contributing to the fight against climate change in line with its international commitments.

Le Monde with AFP