Norway halts Arctic seabed mining amid environmental backlash
Norway has withdrawn the first round of licences for mining rare earth metals from the Arctic seabed following opposition from environmentalists. Naturalists are calling this a historic victory.
Norway was the first to permit commercial resource extraction from the ocean floor. The Norwegian parliament passed a law in early 2024 allowing the exploration of valuable metal deposits crucial for emerging green technologies. The European Union and the United Kingdom, among others, opposed these activities. Biologists and environmentalists also protested, warning about the potential damage to the seabed. The continuation of extraction was halted by Norway's small ecological party, SV, which successfully blocked plans for deep-sea mining on the Arctic Ocean floor.
Environmentalists: Extracting resources will have catastrophic consequences
As recently as November, 120 European Union lawmakers sent a letter to the Norwegian parliament, urging them to reject the project due to potential threats to marine biodiversity and climate change. Concerns were raised about numerous shortcomings in the environmental impact assessment.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), techniques for extracting minerals from the seabed can generate significant noise and light pollution, as well as habitat damage. Martin Webeler, an ocean advocate and researcher with the Environmental Justice Foundation, told the BBC that extracting metals from the ocean floor would bring "catastrophic consequences" for ocean habitats.
Greenpeace: This is a key victory
Norway, known for its dominant hydrocarbon resources, is considered one of the richest economies in the world. This time, however, Oslo had to set aside its ambitions to extract metals from the ocean floor. Although the government planned to issue exploration permits in 2025, this process has been temporarily suspended. Norway's minority government lacks the necessary support.
- This is a crucial win in the fight against deep sea mining. It should be the nail in the coffin for the destructive industry – said Frode Pleym, head of Greenpeace Norway, as quoted by Reuters.
Resource extraction may resume
Despite the suspension of the projects, the upcoming elections in Norway could change the situation. Two opposition parties leading in the polls, the Conservatives and the Progress Party, have expressed support for deep-sea mining. The head of Greenpeace Norway, quoted by Reuters, has vowed to fight if the new government resumes issuing exploitation licences.
National experts are also criticizing the government. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) pointed out that the government based its decisions on studies covering a small area, and their results were directly applied to the entire area planned for drilling. Researchers from IMR suggest that further analyses concerning the impact on marine species could take 5 to 10 years.
Opening up parts of the continental shelf for deep-sea mining is part of Norway's economic strategy, announced in June 2023. The aim is to reduce dependence on oil and gas, which has been the backbone of the country's economy for years.
