Home / Business and Economy / Greenpeace Faces $345M Judgment Over Pipeline Protests
Greenpeace Faces $345M Judgment Over Pipeline Protests
25 Feb
Summary
- Judge orders Greenpeace entities to pay $345 million in damages.
- Lawsuit stems from Dakota Access pipeline protests nearly a decade ago.
- Greenpeace states it cannot afford the judgment amount ordered.
A North Dakota judge has indicated he will issue an order requiring several Greenpeace entities to pay $345 million in damages to the pipeline company Energy Transfer. This judgment is connected to protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline that occurred nearly a decade ago, specifically in 2016 and 2017.
The lawsuit, brought by Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Dakota Access, includes claims of defamation, conspiracy, trespass, and other charges. A jury initially awarded $666.9 million in damages, which Judge James Gion reduced to $345 million. Greenpeace USA's share of the original jury award was $404 million.
Greenpeace has stated that it lacks the financial capacity to meet such a substantial judgment. In a late-year filing, Greenpeace USA reported having only $1.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and $23 million in total assets as of December 31, 2024. The group argues that as mid-sized non-profits, paying hundreds of millions of dollars is impossible.
Both Energy Transfer and Greenpeace are expected to appeal the judge's decision. Energy Transfer has previously expressed its intent to appeal the reduced damages, asserting the original jury findings were lawful. Greenpeace plans to appeal, citing potential legal grounds such as insufficient evidence and concerns about fairness, and maintains that the lawsuit aims to silence activists and chill First Amendment rights.
