Norway's Supreme Court on Friday invalidated permits for three North Sea oil fields after ruling that the government failed to assess emissions from burning the extracted fuel.
The court found that environmental assessments for the Tyrving, Breidablikk and Yggdrasil fields covered only production emissions, not the subsequent "combustion emissions" from burning the oil and gas. The judges ruled that such combustion emissions must be subject to an impact assessment before any plan is approved. The Energy Ministry had argued there were no grounds to halt the projects.
Greenpeace Norway and Young Friends of the Earth Norway filed the case in 2023. A district court ruled in their favour in January 2024, and a court of appeal upheld that decision in November 2025. The Supreme Court sat in plenary formation with 11 judges; six supported the ruling and five dissented. Norwegian Energy Minister Terje Aasland had stressed ahead of the ruling that Norway is contributing to the fight against climate change in line with its international commitments.
The court ordered the state to pay just over five million kroner in legal costs. It noted that the oil companies were not parties to the case, so the invalidation does not automatically halt operations. The energy ministry must reassess the cases on the basis of proper procedure. State lawyer Fredrik Sejersted said the ruling does not mean the permits expire.
Breidablikk and Tyrving are currently operational, while Yggdrasil is due to start producing in 2027. Operations were allowed to continue at all three fields while the ministry appealed. Polish energy company Orlen holds an 11.9 percent stake in Tyrving and 12 percent in Yggdrasil. Orlen said work would continue according to the existing schedule with operator Aker BP.
"This is a historic victory for the climate and for Norwegian democracy," said Haldis Tjeldflaat Helle, head of Greenpeace Norway. "Big polluters are now forced to admit exactly how much they will contribute to the climate crisis that we are in the middle of."
Legal specialist Jasper Teulings of the Climate Litigation Network said the case could have international repercussions. "We could be looking at an emerging norm that makes it really difficult for governments to issue such licences," he said. Climate campaigners have won similar victories in Australia, France and the United Kingdom, where courts blocked a coal mine expansion, ordered TotalEnergies to account for product emissions, and ruled against an oil drilling project.
