Den norske regjeringa ved energiministeren har fått brev fra European Grandparents for Climate, med spørsmål om Grunnlovens paragraf 112: «Enhver har rett til en natur der produksjonsevne og mangfold bevares (…) som ivaretar denne rett også for etterslekten.» Hvordan kan dette forenes med Norges aggressive oljeplaner i Arktis?
Paraplyorganisasjonen European Grandparents for Climate (EGC) hadde nylig sitt årlige møte i Haag, der fire fra Besteforeldrenes klimaaksjon deltok. Her ble det vedtatt en protest mot de norske planene og en støtte til EUs moratorium på olje og gass fra Arktis. Brevet om Grunnloven er en oppfølging av dette, forteller Janet Wiberg, som er BKAs representant i EGC-styret. – Norge er ikke alene om en slik grunnlovsbestemmelse, Tyskland og flere andre EU-land har noe tilsvarende. Men vi må forlange at den blir tatt på alvor, og derfor er det all grunn til å stille de spørsmålene EGC kommer med i dette brevet. Ingen tror selvfølgelig at Ap-regjeringa endrer kurs på grunn av det. Men det er en påminning, og det kan kanskje få noen til å tenke? For meg er det viktigste i § 112 at den pålegger oss å tenke langsiktig – og at dette faktisk ikke bare dreier seg om moral, men om rettigheter som etterslekten har. Vi tråkker på disse rettighetene hver dag så lenge vi fortsetter å pumpe opp olje og gass og omdanne jordas fossile ressurser til nye utslipp av drivhusgasser.
6 October 2026
To the Minister of Energy
Subject: Request for justification regarding Arctic oil exploration in the light of Article 112 of the Norwegian Constitution
Dear Minister of Energy,
The European Grandparents for Climate are writing to you today to formally request a clarification regarding the compatibility of Norway’s ongoing oil exploration policies in the arctic with the nation’s constitutional obligations, specifically Article 112 of the Norwegian Constitution (Grunnloven § 112).
Article 112 explicitly states that every person has the right to an environment that sustains health, and the right to a nature or environment whose productivity and diversity are maintained. It further establishes that the natural resources shall be managed based on comprehensive long-term considerations, thereby safeguarding this right for future generations as well. Crucially, the final paragraph mandates that the state authorities shall take measures to implement these principles.
I the light of this constitutional safeguard, the decision to actively search for, map and potentially exploit new petroleum resources in the ecologically fragile Arctic region presents a profound contradiction. The global scientific consensus, as outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), is clear: achieving the targets of the Paris Agreement and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C allows no room for new oil and gas fields.
Because emissions from the Norwegian petroleum affect the global climate – and by extension, the future living conditions of Norwegian citizens – the continued expansion into the Arctic appears to directly undermine the spirit and legal intent of Article 112.
Given your role as guardian of Norway’s climate goals and environmental integrity, I kindly request your response to the following questions:
- How does the Ministry justify that searching for new oil and gas reserves in the Arctic align with the state’s constitutional duty to ensure a safe environment for future generations under Article 112?
- How does the government reconcile the expansion of the fossil fuel industry with Norway’s international climate commitments and the urgent need to phase out emissions?
- What specific legal and environmental assessments does the Ministry rely on to conclude that Arctic drilling does not violate the constitutional rights of Norwegian youth?
Thank you for your time and leadership, and your attention to this critical matter. We look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
European Grandparents for Climate.