ARGENTINA SEISMIC TESTING CASES

Three lawsuits were filed in Argentina against the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to stop offshore seismic testing by Equinor. The cases raised concerns regarding the protection of the Southern Right Whale, climate impacts, Argentina's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, and procedural rights under the Escazú Agreement. On 11 February 2022, the Federal Court of Mar del Plata ordered a halt to exploration based on the precautionary principle and violations of the rights to information and public participation, though it did not cite climate concerns. However, on 18 February 2022, a different court allowed activities to continue pending an appeal.

• Three separate legal actions were initiated to stop offshore seismic testing and fossil fuel exploration by the Norwegian company Equinor following Resolution 436/2021. The first case focused on the protection of the Southern Right Whale and climate impacts; the second focused on the incompatibility of the project with Argentina's national and international climate commitments and the flaws in the Environmental Impact Assessment; the third focused on rights to public participation and environmental information under the Escazú Agreement.
• On 11 February 2022, the Federal Court of Mar del Plata ordered Equinor to stop its exploration activities. The court's reasoning was based on the precautionary principle and the violation of procedural rights to information and public participation, specifically citing the Escazú Agreement and Argentinian law. The court noted that a strategic environmental assessment should have preceded project approval and highlighted risks to biodiversity and whales, but it did not base its decision on climate concerns.
• Despite the initial injunction, a subsequent order issued on 18 February 2022 by the Federal Court of Mar del Plata N. 4 permitted seismic testing and exploration activities to proceed while the appeal of the injunction is being adjudicated.

APA

Natural Justice (2022). ARGENTINA SEISMIC TESTING CASES. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Argentina-Seismic-Testing-Cases.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. ARGENTINA SEISMIC TESTING CASES. 2022. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Argentina-Seismic-Testing-Cases.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=ARGENTINA SEISMIC TESTING CASES |date=February 2022 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Argentina-Seismic-Testing-Cases.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2022argentina, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{ARGENTINA SEISMIC TESTING CASES}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2022}, month = feb, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Argentina-Seismic-Testing-Cases.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }