Opponents of deep-sea mining are mobilising to stop a United Nations body from issuing the first licenses for the controversial practice later this year, saying not enough is known about the seabed environment or the impact that mining could have on marine ecosystems.
At stake is the development of potentially vast amounts of mineral resources that could help drive the global transition to clean energy, but environmental campaigners say it could lead to catastrophic biodiversity losses.
Critics say that its dual role as mining regulator and custodian of the seabed environment is contradictory, and that the body has been leaning too far in the direction of corporate interests. They also say it lacks transparency and accountability, claims it denies. The Canada-based company has downplayed concerns about the environmental impact of seabed mining, saying that the collection of "loose-lying" polymetallic rock on the ocean floor was far less destructive than conventional terrestrial mining. It also says on its website that "difficult trade-offs must be made if we are to meet metal demand for the clean energy transition".
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