Environmental Law

Berngaard is among Norway's leading legal practices within environmental law. Our Industry and Environmental Law Department is headed by Einar Bratteng, one of the country's foremost experts on Norwegian and European environmental law. Einar has broad experience from both the public and private sectors, including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Climate and Environment. He is the author of Norway's only specialist book on waste law, has authored legal commentaries on both the Pollution Control Act and the Product Control Act, and is a PhD candidate at the University of Oslo with a dissertation on legal barriers to the circular economy.

Our combined expertise covers the full breadth of environmental law – from industrial emissions and chemicals law to water and wastewater law, as well as planning and building law. We assist both public and private stakeholders with complex legal issues and large-scale regulatory projects across the environmental field.

With experience spanning environmental authorities, industry, academia and the courts, we combine legal expertise with industry insight and strategic advice. Our approach is grounded in a practical conviction: that the law should be a tool for green transition, not an obstacle to it. We work in close dialogue with our clients to ensure they can anticipate and adapt to legal developments – rather than simply react to them.

We provide legal assistance with:

  • Waste and recycling law, including hazardous waste and urban mining

  • Pollution law, including liability for soil contamination and licensing

  • Product and chemicals law, including REACH, CLP and hazardous substances

  • Water and wastewater law, with particular expertise on the EU's Urban Wastewater Directive

  • Environmental crime

  • Environmental requirements in public procurement and contracts

  • Judicial review of administrative decisions and complaints

  • Compliance and internal control in the environmental field

  • Environmental claims in marketing and taxonomy requirements

Seminars and industry cooperation
We also offer seminars and webinars on environmental law topics, and have cooperation agreements with industry organisations through which our lawyers provide legal support to their members.

Key Contacts