Fridays for Future Estonia vs. Environmental Board (Oil Shale Mining Case)

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.