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Stockholm • Two environmental groups sued the Norwegian government on Tuesday for allegedly violating the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Norwegian constitution by allowing oil drilling in the Barents Sea.
The lawsuit filed by Nature and Youth and Greenpeace Nordic against Norway's Ministry of Petroleum and Energy asks the Oslo district court to invalidate the latest round of production licenses in the Barents Sea, which is on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.
The groups argue that allowing companies to drill for oil in the Arctic violates the Paris Agreement and an article about environmental protection in Norway's constitution.
"Signing an international climate agreement while throwing open the door to Arctic oil drilling is a dangerous act of hypocrisy," Greenpeace spokesman Truls Gulowsen said.
The oil ministry said its latest licensing round was in compliance with the constitution and noted that it was backed by a large majority in Norway's parliament.