Nature and Youth, Greenpeace, and six young climate activists are taking Norwegian oil drilling in the Barents Sea to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Environmentalists believe that it is contrary to fundamental human rights to open up for Norwegian oil drilling in the Barents Sea during a climate crisis, they say in a press release.
They believe that new oil drilling in areas in the Barents Sea violates Articles 2 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which deal with the right to life and privacy.
Supreme Court decision
The organizations took the same issue to court in Norway, and the Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that it did not violate the Constitution to open up for oil drilling in the Barents Sea.
Environmental activists now hope that the European Court of Human Rights will conclude that oil drilling so far north violates human rights.
“The Norwegian state is gambling with my future when they open up new areas for climate-damaging oil drilling further and further north. This is another case of an oil-thirsty state that leaves the consequences of global warming to today’s youth and future generations,” Gina Gylver, one of the climate activists, noted.
The following people and organizations are behind the appeal to the European Court of Human Rights: Ingrid Skjoldvær (27), Gaute Eiterjord (25), Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen (23), Mia Chamberlain (22), Lasse Eriksen Bjørn (24), Gina Gylver (20), Nature and Youth, and Greenpeace Norden.
FRP: Absurd
Energy and environmental policy spokesperson in Norway’s Progress Party (FRP), Terje Halleland, does not support the environmental organizations’ complaint to the ECHR.
“It is absurd that these organizations believe it is good climate policy to move Norway’s oil and gas production to countries that do not care about emissions or human rights,” he said.
“The Supreme Court has also ruled that the state has not violated the environmental clause with activities… after these climate activists for claimed the opposite for several years,” Halleland added.
On the other hand, Kriss Rokkan, deputy leader of the Green Party (MDG), supports the activists and the organizations.
“MDG, of course, supports Nature and Youth, Greenpeace, and the climate activists in the lawsuit and hopes it pays off. At the same time, it is sad that we have come to the point where young people and environmental organizations find themselves forced to complain about Norwegian oil drilling to the European Court of Human Rights. It should not have been necessary at a time when we are all in a climate crisis and know that oil drilling cannot continue,” Rokkan noted.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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There must be *worldwide*, proportionate, verifiable – and drastic! – fossil fuel production cutback. Just Norway shouldn’t be singled out.