An Oslo appeals court approved Norway's plans for more oil exploration in the Arctic on Thursday, dismissing a lawsuit by environmentalists who had said it violated people's right to a healthy environment.

The verdict upheld a ruling made by a lower court, rejecting arguments by Greenpeace and the Nature and Youth group that a 2015-2016 oil licensing round that gave awards to Equinor and others had breached Norway's constitution...

Greenpeace immediately said it would appeal the case to Norway's supreme court.

Beate Kristine Sjaafjell, a law professor at the University of Oslo, said the supreme court may give a clearer answer on whether handing out new licences violates Norway's constitution...

A win at the appeals court could have set a precedent for other climate cases globally, while limiting exploration by western Europe's biggest oil and gas producer, the plaintiffs said at the outset of the trial...

There has been a surge in climate-related lawsuits in recent years, with campaigners viewing even unsuccessful litigation as an effective way of pressuring governments to be more ambitious about averting climate catastrophe...

Most defendants are governments, but lawsuits are increasingly targeting bid oil and gas companies...