The newly elected Norwegian government has ruled out deep sea mining licenses in Arctic waters until at least the end of 2029.
The agreement comes after intense negotiations between Labour, the Socialist Left Party, the Green Party, the Red Party, and the Centre Party. Labour, which leads the government, did not have a majority on its own and needed support from the other parties to secure the budget.
Norway will also cut all public funding for government-led mineral mapping, marking a major shift in its stance on deep-sea mining. Once one of the mining industry’s strongest proponents, the Norwegian government is now moving to halt both exploration and exploitation in its own waters.
The decision is another blow to a deep sea mining industry whose viability has come under repeated strain before even going into business. In November, Cook Islands authorities announced deep sea mining applications in the Pacific nation’s waters would be subject to five-year extensions, delaying mining in the region until at least 2032.
A larger number of international and domestic experts, including the Norwegian Environment Agency and the Institute of Marine Research have highlighted the vast knowledge gaps regarding deep-sea ecosystems and the potentially irreversible consequences of seabed mining. The Environment Agency has concluded that it is neither environmentally responsible nor legally defensible to move forward with exploration or extraction.
To date, 40 countries have taken a clear stance against the industry, and the European Parliament has called for a moratorium. The European Investment Bank has excluded seabed minerals from all financing, while the European Commission is calling for a ban until it can be proven that mining will not harm the marine environment. They are joined by more than 60 major companies, including Google, BMW and Storebrand, and nearly 1,000 marine scientists from 70 countries who also warn against opening the deep sea to mining.
