Norwegian Parliament Gives Green Light to Highly Contentious Deep Sea Mining
Norway's parliament's decision to approve deep sea mining has sparked global debate, as environmental groups express concerns about the potential consequences
Norway has taken a significant step towards becoming the first country to engage in deep sea mining. On Tuesday, the country's parliament voted to open its waters for exploration, a move that has sparked criticism from environmental organizations. This decision will pave the way for the exploration of approximately 108,000 square miles of Arctic seabed, a larger area than the United Kingdom, located between Norway and Greenland.
Despite growing fears from scientists, politicians, and environmental organizations about the potential harm that deep sea mining could cause to marine life, the decision was made. "It's a significant move in the wrong direction," stated Frode Pleym, leader of Greenpeace Norway, in an interview with CNN.
The deep ocean, one of the few remaining untouched habitats on earth, has been targeted for its abundant reserves of resources such as copper, cobalt, zinc, and gold, which are crucial for the green economy and used in a wide range of products, from wind turbines to electric vehicle batteries.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate building in Stavanger, Norway. A study by the organization has identified "substantial" amounts of seabed minerals and metals.
Stine Jacobsen/REUTERS
Norway discovers huge trove of metals, minerals and rare earths on its seabed
Last year, a Norwegian study discovered a significant presence of metals and minerals on the ocean floor of the country's extended continental shelf.
Advocates for deep sea mining contend that harvesting these natural resources from below the sea will facilitate a swifter shift to a low-carbon economy and may have a lesser impact on the environment compared to land-based mining.
Despite the vastness of the world's oceans, scientists have only explored a small fraction. Concerns about the impact on ecosystems already affected by pollution, trawling, and the climate crisis have been raised. The deep ocean in this region harbors a diverse range of marine species, including those that have not yet been discovered by humans. "We do not know what we risk losing for the exact reason that we do not know what the deep sea holds," Pleym said.
Norway's government views seabed minerals as a promising new industry, but with the condition that extraction must be proven to be both sustainable and responsible. However, other countries, such as the United Kingdom, have called for a more cautious approach and have voiced support for a moratorium on deep sea mining.
In November, over 100 European politicians penned an open letter to the Norwegian parliament, encouraging it to reject deep sea mining. The letter highlighted the dangers to marine life and the possibility of worsening climate change by disrupting the carbon stored in the ocean floor.
Additionally, a separate open letter, endorsed by more than 800 scientists globally, has urged for a halt in deep sea mining, warning of potential irreversible consequences over multiple generations.
CNN has contacted the Norwegian government for comment.
A Kobold Metals worker in Greenland
Kobold Metals
Billionaires are financing an extensive expedition in Greenland in search of treasure as the ice disappears. According to Norwegian politician Baard Ludvig Thorheim, the environmental standards for deep sea mining have been significantly raised, setting a potential international benchmark for this activity.
It is still uncertain how quickly a deep sea mining industry could develop in Norway. According to Pleym, exploration could potentially begin within months. However, the issuing of mining licenses for extraction will still need to be approved by parliament. "There will be another vote before actual mining begins," stated Kaja Lønne Fjærtoft, an expert on deep sea mining from WWF-Norway.
There is concern about the potential commercial viability of deep sea mining in the Arctic, according to Fjærtoft, who told CNN that extracting minerals from the region will be extremely challenging and may not contribute to the green economic transition by the time it becomes commercially feasible. The European Academies of Science Advisory Council also shares this concern, with their environment director Michael Norton stating that the belief that deep-sea mining is essential for meeting climate targets and is a green technology is misleading.
Norway's approval of deep sea mining is part of a larger discussion on whether international waters should also be available for this practice. The International Seabed Authority, a UN-related organization that oversees seabed mining, is set to establish regulations for mining in international waters next year.
