Greenpeace appeals 345 million dollar judgment in north dakota pipeline protest lawsuit

Greenpeace faces potential bankruptcy as a North Dakota judge finalizes a $345 million judgment in a lawsuit brought by Energy Transfer over pipeline protests.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 10:32 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Earth.Org

Finalization of the Judgment

A North Dakota District Court judge finalized a 345 million dollar judgment on February 27 against Greenpeace for its involvement in protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The case, initiated by Texas based Energy Transfer, accused the environmental network of orchestrating and galvanizing protests that hindered the construction of the 1,172 mile underground crude oil pipeline. While a jury originally awarded 667 million dollars last year, Judge James Gion reduced the sum to 345 million dollars in October. Last week, the judge denied Greenpeace’s request to further reduce or overturn the verdict, stating that the jury found the evidence presented by the pipeline company to be more credible.

Financial Risk and Bankruptcy Warnings

Greenpeace has cautioned that the finalized sum could result in the organization's bankruptcy. As an independent network funded by individual contributions and grants, the group does not accept financial support from governments or corporations. Financial statements from 2023 reveal that Greenpeace USA generated approximately 40 million dollars in revenue while incurring 38 million dollars in expenses, leaving the organization with limited capital to settle a judgment of this magnitude. David Simons, Senior Legal Counsel for Strategic Defence at Greenpeace International, described the ruling as a dark day for freedom of expression and confirmed that the group will seek a new trial and appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court.

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation

The environmental group has consistently characterized the litigation as a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, or SLAPP. These types of lawsuits are frequently used by large entities to censor or intimidate critics by burdening them with the high costs of legal defense. Greenpeace claims that Energy Transfer failed to provide concrete evidence for its accusations and that the court admitted inflammatory material while excluding evidence for the defense. The group maintains it only played a supporting role in the 2016 protests, which were primarily led by Native American groups and focused on protecting local water sources and land.