Norway Mobilizes against Controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in the USA

Protests are held in Oslo and Bergen against the oil pipeline "Black Snake" in the United States. Also 470 organizations contacted Norwegian bank DNB to stop funding the project.

The protest in Oslo was led by Norway’s indigenous group, Sami’s church council.  Member of the Sami Church Council, Mikkel Eskil Mikkelsen said  that Dakota Access Pipeline is built through indigenous areas without consultation or consent, so they can not accept it as other similar oil pipelines has caused polluted water, writes NRK.

Demonstrations are organized by hundreds of organizations around the world, including the environmental organization Greenpeace.

Green Peace Norway writes that INSANITY must end. 

- There are serious assaults against the people who are protesting in the USA. There are shooting by rubber bullets, tear gas, spraying with water cannons in freezing temperatures and arbitrary detention of demonstrators, says climate and energy adviser Martin Norman to NRK.

Norman says that they will show solidarity for those who are severely abused in Dakota, who try to protect their drinking water.

Pressure on DNB to Stop Funding

Greenpeace Norway met this week with Norwegian state-owned bank DNB to demand freezing Norwegian bank investments in controversial oil pipeline in the United States.

At the meeting, Greenpeace handed a letter to DNB and the other lenders of the construction of the oil pipeline Dakota Access Pipeline in the United States.

More than 400 organizations from 47 countries have signed the letter. The requirement for DNB is as followed:

• Instantly freeze all further loan disbursements for the project.
• Demand from developers that all the construction of the oil pipeline and infrastructure is halted until the problem with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe resolved.
• In case you can not reach agreement with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, DNB must withdraw completely from the loan agreement.
• Make a public statement in response to how they will deal with the challenges mentioned above.

DNB has already drawn investments from companies involved in the project. 

The bank is still heavily involved in lending through its other holdings.

DNB has lent 4.7 billion NOK to the project, which makes about 15 percent of the debt financing the construction of pipeline.

Kaj Martin Georgsen, director of corporate social responsibility at DNB said that the company takes the demand seriously and assess both social, policy and procedures in this project.

- We will also assess the project according to the international standards, and come with recommendations to the project. This will form the basis for DNB’s assessment and further work on the issue, says Georgsen to NRK.