Overview

• A North Dakota court has ordered Greenpeace to pay several hundred million dollars in damages to Energy Transfer, the operator of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
• Energy Transfer accused Greenpeace of leading a violent and defamatory campaign during protests against the pipeline, which began in 2016-2017.
• The Dakota Access Pipeline runs through areas with sacred sites of the Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, who have opposed it over concerns about land desecration and water contamination.
• Greenpeace has criticized the ruling as an effort to silence environmental activism and is considering an appeal, though no specific legal steps have been announced.
• The pipeline, operational since 2017, was approved under the Trump administration after being halted by President Obama, reflecting shifting U.S. energy and environmental policies.