A US court in North Dakota has issued a final ruling ordering the Greenpeace organization to pay $345 million in damages to the company Energy Transfer. The penalty is a consequence of protests against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in 2016. Such a high fine calls into question the continued existence of the organization's US branch, and even its global operations, as the amount far exceeds the financial resources available to the environmental association.
Record-breaking damages
The court ordered Greenpeace to pay $345 million to Energy Transfer for losses related to the protests.
Threat of bankruptcy
The awarded amount exceeds the organization's financial capabilities, threatening the continued existence of Greenpeace in the USA.
Finale of the DAPL dispute
The ruling concludes a multi-year legal process concerning the controversial pipeline construction in North Dakota.
A federal judge in North Dakota has approved a record-high $345 million damages award that the organization Greenpeace must pay to pipeline operator Energy Transfer. The ruling concludes a multi-year legal battle concerning protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The plaintiff accused activists not only of blocking construction work but also of organizing a disinformation campaign and participating in a conspiracy aimed at destroying the company. The court sided with the corporation's arguments, finding that the organization's actions went beyond the bounds of permissible social protest. The DAPL pipeline dispute reached its peak in 2016 when thousands of people, including representatives of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, protested the investment over fears of drinking water contamination and the destruction of sacred sites. Greenpeace representatives warn that the awarded sum is completely unrealistic to pay and could lead to the dismantling of the organization's structures in the United States. They also argue that the ruling is political in nature and constitutes an attempt to silence environmental movements using so-called SLAPP lawsuits. Meanwhile, Energy Transfer maintains that the compensation is fair recompense for material and reputational losses resulting from activists' deliberate misleading of the public. 345 mln $ — is the damages awarded against Greenpeace The organization's financial situation is critical, as the annual budget of its US branch is a fraction of the awarded amount. Legal experts indicate that this ruling could set a precedent significantly limiting the ability to protest against large infrastructure projects in the USA. Although Greenpeace plans to appeal, the judge's confirmation of the ruling in North Dakota makes the specter of bankruptcy extremely real. The organization must now seek support from global donors to survive the biggest crisis in its decades-long history.