{"id":81860,"date":"2026-02-28T01:50:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-28T00:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=81860"},"modified":"2026-04-30T21:06:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T19:06:45","slug":"what-345-million-judgment-means-greenpeace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/81860\/what-345-million-judgment-means-greenpeace\/","title":{"rendered":"What a US$ 345 million judgment means for Greenpeace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A US court has just sided with fossil fuel pipeline giant Energy Transfer and ordered Greenpeace International and Greenpeace entities in the US to pay US$ 345 million.<\/p>\n\n<p>Quick backstory: last year, a Morton County jury of nine reached <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/press-release\/73572\/jury-delivers-verdict-finding-greenpeace-entities-liable-for-more-than-660-million-in-energy-transfer-slapp-trial\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/press-release\/73572\/jury-delivers-verdict-finding-greenpeace-entities-liable-for-more-than-660-million-in-energy-transfer-slapp-trial\/\">a verdict in Energy Transfer\u2019s abusive intimidation lawsuit<\/a> against Greenpeace entities in the US (Greenpeace Inc, Greenpeace Fund), and Greenpeace International.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"Greenpeace Team at Energy Transfer vs Greenpeace Trial In North Dakota\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/1d99afd1-gp0su4taj.jpg\" alt=\"Some of the Greenpeace team hold up a banner outside the Morton County Memorial Courthouse in Mandan, North Dakota March 16, 2025.\n\nTen years after the world watched the Indigenous-led protests at the Dakota Access Pipeline unfold, representatives from Greenpeace International (GPI) and two Greenpeace entities in the United States  fight a meritless lawsuit brought by Energy Transfer in the Morton County Memorial Courthouse in Mandan, North Dakota.\n\nThe US-based fossil fuel pipeline company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline is seeking US0 million in damages in one of the world\u2019s most brazen examples of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). ET\u2019s lawsuit attempts to rewrite the history of the Indigenous-led protest at Standing Rock and could have a chilling impact on free speech in the US and beyond. Since 2017, GPI and Greenpeace organizations in the US have been defending against ET\u2019s lawsuits, which ridiculously claim the protests were orchestrated by Greenpeace.\n\nThe trial is currently open to the public in the North Dakota courthouse. Multiple attempts by media and watchdog groups to petition the court for greater transparency and accessibility to the trial proceedings have been denied. The Greenpeace parties\u2019 request for public livestreaming was denied, and a request for expanded media cover by a number of outlets and journalists was also denied.\" class=\"wp-image-81842\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/1d99afd1-gp0su4taj.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/1d99afd1-gp0su4taj-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/1d99afd1-gp0su4taj-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/1d99afd1-gp0su4taj-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/1d99afd1-gp0su4taj-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-element-caption\">Some of the Greenpeace team hold up a banner outside the Morton County Memorial Courthouse in Mandan, North Dakota March 16, 2025.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Stephanie Keith \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>The new judgment from the North Dakota court rejects portions of the absurd jury verdict delivered last March but still awards hundreds of millions of dollars to ET without a sound basis in law, failing to solve the injustices of the case. This judgement is the biggest damage award ever imposed on Greenpeace organisations. It\u2019s meant to shut the movement up.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"899\" title=\"SLAPP &#039;We Will Not Be Silenced&#039; Projections in Houston\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2025\/06\/8cfc0324-gp0su4qyp.jpg\" alt=\"In response to the growing threat against free speech and peaceful protest, Greenpeace USA lit up Houston with bold projections of resistance and solidarity onto iconic city locations. The projections come three weeks into the 0 million lawsuit brought by Dallas-based Energy Transfer (ET) against Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace Fund, and Greenpeace International.\" class=\"wp-image-75348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2025\/06\/8cfc0324-gp0su4qyp.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2025\/06\/8cfc0324-gp0su4qyp-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2025\/06\/8cfc0324-gp0su4qyp-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2025\/06\/8cfc0324-gp0su4qyp-768x575.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2025\/06\/8cfc0324-gp0su4qyp-454x340.jpg 454w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-element-caption\">In response to the growing threat against free speech and peaceful protest, Greenpeace USA lit up Houston with bold projections of resistance and solidarity onto iconic city locations.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>So let\u2019s be clear: this type of corporate bullying is designed to rob us of our rights and freedoms.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Energy Transfer has pursued this intimidation lawsuit because Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace International dared to show solidarity with Indigenous environmental defenders who oppose the climate-wrecking Dakota Access Pipeline. It was never about justice and Energy Transfer\u2019s SLAPP suit remains a blatant attempt to silence free speech, erase Indigenous leadership of the Standing Rock movement, and punish solidarity with peaceful resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"SLAPP Week of Action: Art Build for &quot;We Will Not Be Silenced&quot; Rally in Dallas\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/94800747-gp0su4gcx.jpg\" alt=\"Greenpeace staff, allies and volunteers collaborating to create art work for Free Speech Rally during We Will Not Be Silenced Week of Action in Dallas.\" class=\"wp-image-81865\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/94800747-gp0su4gcx.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/94800747-gp0su4gcx-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/94800747-gp0su4gcx-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/94800747-gp0su4gcx-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/94800747-gp0su4gcx-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-element-caption\">Greenpeace staff, allies and volunteers collaborating to create art work for Free Speech Rally during We Will Not Be Silenced Week of Action in Dallas.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 Shelby Tauber \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>So what comes next? Greenpeace International and Greenpeace organisations in the US will seek a new trial, and if that is denied, appeal the judgment with the North Dakota Supreme Court.<\/p>\n\n<p>At the same time, Greenpeace International has a suit pending against Energy Transfer in the Netherlands under the EU\u2019s anti-SLAPP directive \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/press-release\/72706\/greenpeace-international-files-lawsuit-against-energy-transfer-in-first-use-of-eu-anti-slapp-directive\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/press-release\/72706\/greenpeace-international-files-lawsuit-against-energy-transfer-in-first-use-of-eu-anti-slapp-directive\/\">a landmark test case against corporate bullying.<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p>Energy Transfer&#8217;s SLAPPs are part of a wave of abusive lawsuits filed by Big Oil companies like Shell, Total, and ENI against Greenpeace entities in recent years but we will continue to resist intimidation tactics. The fight against Energy Transfer\u2019s SLAPP continues \u2014 and it is far from over. We will not be silenced.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" title=\"May Day Demonstration against Far-Right Party in Paris, France\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/5bd2b3f2-gp0su5d0v.jpg\" alt=\"Nearly 100,000 people demonstrated in Paris and 300,000 in France to defend workers\u2019 rights, including the right to live in a peaceful world and a healthy environment.\nGreenpeace France participated in the demonstration to denounce the collusion between billionaires, fossil industries and the far right, and to emphasize the unbreakable link between ecology and the fight against discrimination. \nNearly 100,000 people demonstrated in Paris and 300,000 in France to defend workers\u2019 rights, including the right to live in a peaceful world and a healthy environment.\nGreenpeace France participated in the demonstration to denounce the collusion between billionaires, fossil industries and the far right, and to emphasize the unbreakable link between ecology and the fight against discrimination. \nAs part of Greenpeace International\u2019s global campaign against the SLAPP (Strategic lawsuit against public participation) order against Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace volunteers unfurled a banner with the text &quot;Time to Resist&quot;.\" class=\"wp-image-81340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/5bd2b3f2-gp0su5d0v.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/5bd2b3f2-gp0su5d0v-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/5bd2b3f2-gp0su5d0v-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/5bd2b3f2-gp0su5d0v-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/5bd2b3f2-gp0su5d0v-510x340.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nearly 100,000 people demonstrated in Paris and 300,000 in France to defend workers\u2019 rights, including the right to live in a peaceful world and a healthy environment.<div class=\"credit icon-left\"> \u00a9 H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Boissel-Arrieta \/ Greenpeace<\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p>We will only get louder, joining our voices to those of our allies all around the world against the corporate polluters and billionaire oligarchs who prioritise profits over people and the planet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<section\n\t\t\tclass=\"boxout  \"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-action=\"Image\"\n\t\t\t\tdata-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n\t\t\t\tclass=\"cover-card-overlay\"\n\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/act\/stop-corporate-intimidation\/\" \n\t\t\t><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/aa6b842b-gp0su2fis_medium-res-with-credit-line-1200px-1024x683.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsrcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/aa6b842b-gp0su2fis_medium-res-with-credit-line-1200px-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/aa6b842b-gp0su2fis_medium-res-with-credit-line-1200px-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/aa6b842b-gp0su2fis_medium-res-with-credit-line-1200px-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/aa6b842b-gp0su2fis_medium-res-with-credit-line-1200px-510x340.jpg 510w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-international-stateless\/2026\/02\/aa6b842b-gp0su2fis_medium-res-with-credit-line-1200px.jpg 1200w\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tsizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 358px, (min-width: 780px) 313px, 88px\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"\" title=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\/>\n            \t\t\t<div class=\"boxout-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"boxout-heading medium\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-action=\"Title\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/act\/stop-corporate-intimidation\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tStop Corporate Intimidation!\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"boxout-excerpt\">Tell Energy Transfer and other corporate bullies: Stop your attacks on free speech.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t                                    <a\n                        class=\"btn btn-primary\"\n                        data-ga-category=\"Take Action Boxout\"\n                        data-ga-action=\"Call to Action\"\n                        data-ga-label=\"n\/a\"\n                        href=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/act\/stop-corporate-intimidation\/\"\n                        \n                    >\n                        Add your name\n                    <\/a>\n                \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A US court has just sided with fossil fuel pipeline giant Energy Transfer and ordered Greenpeace International and Greenpeace entities in the US to pay US$ 345 million.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":75348,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_planet4_optimize_post_is_variant":false,"_planet4_optimize_experiment_name":"","_planet4_optimize_variant_name":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"","p4_local_project":"","p4_basket_name":"","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[144],"p4-page-type":[59],"class_list":["post-81860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about","tag-et-slapp","p4-page-type-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81860"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81860\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81888,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81860\/revisions\/81888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81860"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=81860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}