From mass protests to climate litigation: the story of Natur og Ungdom
- ugnebudriunaite
- Dec 2
- 4 min read
Being Norway’s oldest youth environmental organisation, Natur og Ungdom has been mobilising youth power nationally and locally for almost 60 years. During ReGeneration Week 2025, we had a chance to speak with current organisation members Emma and Gaute, who shared insights about projects and campaigns of Natur og Ungdom today.
The interview was conducted in August 2025.
From your point of view as a current generation of Natur og Ungdom activists, how has the organisation changed over the years?
Emma: Throughout the years, Natur og Ungdom have become more systematically political, following political programs and being more engaged in the political development of Norway. We have also held the Norwegian government more accountable, and we've gotten bigger. There are a lot more members now, I think, we're up to 6,000 members with around 80 local teams around Norway who are fighting in the local cases. For example, in the area where I live, we are fighting for the Oslo Fjord, which is very polluted. During the summer, we are not allowed to swim there because it can be dangerous. After all, there has been a lot of industry there, so it's still polluted.
What projects are you working on right now?
Gaute: Currently, we have a lot of projects going on. We're currently stationed in Repparfjord, where we’re trying to prevent mining. It's been very controversial in the Norwegian media because, first of all, it's on Sami indigenous land. So, of course, there's a breach of human rights here. Additionally, they're trying to extract copper, and the waste is just being dumped into the fjord, which has been made legal by the government.
We're also advocating against deep-sea mining, as the possibility of mining in an area outside of Svalbard was opened up by the government. The area that’s been opened up is one-third of the size of Norway, and of course, there's a lot of important life forms in the sea. And, actually, I was just informed that right now, as we're speaking, there are actions outside the parliament in Norway to make sure that people are thinking about the environment when they go to vote and that it becomes one of the biggest political cases for the upcoming election (author's note: the interview was conducted in August, 2025).
A few years ago, Natur og Ungdom brought so much joy and hope to the activist circles when, together with Greenpeace in Norway, you won a climate law case against the Norwegian state. Could you tell us a bit more about this?
Emma: We did not win the case, unfortunately, but we did have a partial win. So now they have to do a risk assessment before opening new mines, oil and gas fields in Norway, which is still a huge win, in my opinion.
What are the challenges that arise when it comes to climate litigation?
Gaute: Of course, sometimes litigation is necessary, but it takes a lot of resources, which are crucial, especially for a youth NGO. It takes a lot of capital and capacity from other actions that we can be taking, for example, campaigns, processing information, and recruiting more members.
And also, when we don't win these cases, it can burden the organisation, both in the media and internally.
However, sometimes it's necessary, and just a bit earlier, we were super happy because we did win a case. So, sometimes the wind is in our sails.
What was the reaction of the public opinion in Norway when you first filed the lawsuit?
Gaute: The media have been very supportive; they find it exhilarating that the youth are engaging in politics, that we're taking a stance. And I think also a lot of people think it's cool that we're going against our politicians.
I think, in general, Norwegians do care about the climate, and we do care about the environment. Unfortunately, the politicians don't necessarily always do that. So, the media loves to report on the youth, kind of inspiring other people to take a more environmental stance as well.
What can we expect to see among the future actions of Natur og Ungdom?
Gaute: We just won the Førdefjord in August. Most likely, the state will appeal this. (Author's comment: the Norwegian state did appeal the court’s decision in the autumn of 2025). So it's just important right now to keep the momentum going. And we know that we do have the law on our side, and we just have to keep on pressuring. Even if we have to go to the highest court, we know we'll win this.
With Norway about to have national elections, which, some argue, hold significant importance for climate politics. Regardless of the outcome, what do you think the most important goals for the Norwegian climate youth movement will be in the upcoming years?
Gaute: It is a very important election coming up on both sides of the political spectrum, both on the left and the right. There are those fighting for the environment and those fighting for the brown industries, which are the sectors with high greenhouse gas emissions. So, regardless of the outcome, it will be important to keep on pressuring politicians. Make sure that the parties which are on our side or with whom we share our values have as much say as possible in the Parliament.
We're going to continue our work regardless of who wins this election. And we know that we have allies on both sides.
(Author's note: The Norwegian national election in September saw one of the highest voter turnouts in the country’s history (78.9%), with the left-wing Labour Party winning the elections and the anti-immigration Progress Party scoring its highest ever support of 24%.)
Author: Ugnė Budriūnaitė, Project Coordinator at ReGeneration 2030
ReGeneration 2030 is a democratic and youth-led organisation, mobilising youth climate activists and movements from the Nordic and Baltic Sea region. Want to join us? Fill out a volunteer application form here.
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