In February 2022, three Guyanese citizens (Sinikka Henry, a lecturer at the University of Guyana, Sherlina Nageer, and Andriska Thorington, students at the University of Guyana) filed suit alleging that the Guyanese Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to grant a modified environmental permit to Esso violated Guyanese environmental laws, where the modified permit allows Esso/ExxonMobil to flare gas in exchange for paying a fee. The plaintiffs seek several Court Orders, including quashing the EPA’s decision to grant the modified permit, and ordering the EPA to issue reports on Esso’s activities, failures to uphold environmental provisions in the permit, and the emissions impacts of Esso’s operations.

Key environmental legal questions:

Whether Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency’s issuing of an oil exploration permit violates Guyanese environmental laws.