Norway court green-lights Arctic drilling

Norway

OSLO, January 4, 2018 – A Norwegian court has ruled that drilling in the Arctic is not a violation of the constitutional right to a healthy environment, international media reported on Thursday.

Environmental groups Greenpeace and and Nature and Youth had brought the suit after Norway’s 23rd licensing round in 2015, which had an emphasis on the Arctic.

“Some issues that the environmental organisations have raised fall outside what was tried by the court,” the court ruling, cited by Bloomberg, said. “Whether Norway is doing enough for the environment and climate, and if it was sensible to open fields so far north and east…. [are questions] better assessed through political processes.”