Norway’s Supreme Court voids approvals for 3 oil fields

Norway's Supreme Court ruled on Friday, November 13, that the government's approvals for the Breidablikk, Tyrving and Yggdrasil oil and gas fields were invalid. The court found that the state had not assessed the climate impact of burning the fuel the fields produce. Output will not stop, however. The court decided the case on procedural grounds, and the Energy Ministry must now reconsider each field to decide whether the permits can be reissued, Reuters reported.reuters.com

The case was brought by Greenpeace and Young Friends of the Earth Norway (Natur og Ungdom). Eleven judges heard it instead of the usual five, a format kept for major cases, and they ruled six to five in the campaigners' favour. The state was ordered to pay more than 5 million kroner in legal costs, according to EPA reporting carried by Yonhap and Anadolu Agency.aa.com.tr+1

What the court required

The court said the government's emissions assessments covered only emissions from production. They left out the "combustion emissions" released when the oil and gas are burned, which "must be subject to an impact assessment" before a development plan is approved, AFP reported. Those assessments must include emissions released outside Norway. They must also weigh the combined emissions of other existing and approved projects on the Norwegian continental shelf, Anadolu reported.afp.com+1

Equinor ↗ 0.44% and Aker BP, which operate the fields, were not parties to the case. Because of that, the court said, the ruling does not automatically cancel their licences. Equinor's Breidablikk and Aker BP's Tyrving are already producing. Aker BP's Yggdrasil, the largest of the three, is due to start production next year.reuters.com

Government and campaigners respond

"The verdict means the state has a duty to reprocess the case and we will do so," Attorney General Fredrik Sejersted told Reuters. Energy Minister Terje Aasland said the court had "made it very clear that this does not mean that activities at the three fields must stop." He added that the ministry needs to study the ruling before saying how it will proceed.news.com.au+1

Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle, who leads Greenpeace in Norway, said the decision "changes Norwegian oil policy forever". Jenny Sandvig, the groups' lawyer, said they will consider suing the operators directly to stop production.reuters.com+1

A wider legal trend

The groups filed the case in 2023. A district court ruled in their favour in January 2024, and an appeals court upheld that decision in November 2025. Norway has become Europe's main gas supplier since Russian deliveries fell, so the ruling was watched closely abroad. Similar challenges have succeeded elsewhere, including at the UK's top court in 2024. In October 2025, the European Court of Human Rights also said states must assess emissions from burning fossil fuels before approving projects.greenpeace.org+2