In 2019, the Environmental Board issued permits to two companies, Enefit Industry AS and Osaühingu VKG Kaevandused, to extract shale oil, a coal-like fossil fuel, at the Uus-Kiviõli sites until 2049. In October 2025, the Board amended the permits to increase the quantity of oil shale mined to a total of 15 million tonnes a year, or a 2.5-fold increase. MTÜ Loodusvõlu, the legally registered NGO of Fridays for Future Estonia, challenged this amendment, claiming that the Board had failed to assess the indirect climate impact of increased mining, caused by increased downstream greenhouse gas emissions from the processing of oil shale. Additionally, they claim that the Board also inadequately assessed the impacts of increased mining on nearby wetlands and wildlife, including species and sites protected under the EU Bird Directive and Habitat Directive.
The Tallinn Administrative Court accepted the case and designated the Environmental Board as the defendant.
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- Fridays for Future Estonia vs. Environmental Board (Oil Shale Mining Case)
Fridays for Future Estonia vs. Environmental Board (Oil Shale Mining Case)
About this case
Filing year
2024
Status
Pending
Geography
🇪🇪 Estonia
Court/admin entity
Estonia → Tallinn Administrative CourtEstonia → Tallinn Circuit Court
Case category
Suits against governments (Global) → Human Rights (Global) → Right to a healthy environment (Global) → Youth/Children (Global)Suits against governments (Global) → Protecting biodiversity and ecosystems (Global)
Principal law
Estonia → Environmental Code ActEuropean UnionInternational Law → European Convention on Human RightsInternational Law → European Union EIA DirectiveInternational Law → European Union Habitats DirectiveInternational Law → UN Convention on the Rights of the ChildInternational Law → UNFCCC → Paris Agreement
Documents
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