Greenpeace v. Danish Energy Agency

In May 2024, Greenpeace Denmark filed a complaint arguing that the Danish Energy Agency had filed to comply with its obligations under EU and Danish law to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) before approving a development plan for expanding an oil field (Hejre) in the North sea. Greenpeace alleged that the EIA was inadequate, due to the agency's failure to assess the climate consequences of burning the extracted oil and gas (scope 3 emissions). The Danish Energy Energy Board of Appeal, citing similar EU decisions, claimed that the purpose of an EIA is to ensure that the public is informed about a project’s environmental impact before a decision is made. The Energy Board of Appeal, on November 11, 2025, sided with Greenpeace and the case was remitted for reconsideration. The court held that the revised development of the Hejre field cannot proceed unless a new, legally sufficient environmental assessment and permit process are completed.