Estonian Court Backs Oil Shale Plant, Rejects Climate Appeal
The Tallinn Circuit Court has upheld a controversial permit for Enefit Power's new oil shale facility, ruling that the project complies with existing EU and national greenhouse gas reduction targets and dismissing an environmental challenge from activists.
- —The Tallinn Circuit Court has ruled that the Environmental Board did not err in granting a complex permit to Enefit Power AS for its new oil shale plant, rejecting appeals seeking to annul the permit.
- —The court found the plant's complex permit to be in compliance with greenhouse gas reduction targets mandated by EU law and national development strategies.
- —Environmental activists from Fridays for Future Eesti, who argued the plant's operation would hinder climate goals and harm local ecosystems, plan to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
- —The court dismissed arguments that the plant's emissions would prevent Estonia from meeting its 2023 greenhouse gas reduction targets, noting the permit is valid until the end of 2034.
- —The ruling also addressed the concept of a carbon budget, stating that legal grounds are lacking to restrict fundamental rights based solely on an unestablished carbon budget.
Recap
The court's decision prioritizes legal and regulatory compliance over broader climate arguments, reinforcing the state's current energy strategy. This ruling establishes a significant precedent for how industrial projects are weighed against environmental activism in Estonia, framing the conflict as a matter of adherence to existing law rather than a debate on future climate policy. While a victory for Enefit Power, the planned appeal to the Supreme Court ensures the dispute over the country's reliance on oil shale will persist.