Yesterday afternoon, the Norwegian Parliament officially agreed to commercial-scale deep-sea mining . The area potentially concerned stretches from Svalbard to Jan Mayen Island, covering 280 000 square kilometers of Arctic seabed.
Despite protests and warnings from environmental organizations, scientists and many politicians, Norway has decided to go ahead with the project. Or rather, as Frode Pleym, Director of Greenpeace Norway, said to CNN, to take “a big step in the wrong direction”.
Largely approved with 80 votes against 20, Norway has become the first nation in the world to open to a form of resources exploitation that has been criticized for the damage it could cause. Since seabed is still largely unexplored, scientific knowledge of the impact mining activities could have on ecosystems, that are already weakened by pollution, fishing and global warming, is very low. What is sure is that there would be an impact on animal species, including whales, which swim through these waters and could be greatly disturbed by the noise pollution generated by mining activities.
Hence the massive international opposition to the Norwegian project, despite government promises to allow extraction only if the industry can demonstrate that it can be carried out in a “sustainable and responsible manner”. Last November, a hundred European politicians sent an open letter to the Norwegian parliament asking them to give authorization to the project. Another petition, signed by over 800 scientists, had also been sent to the authorities. Unsuccessfully.
The deep-sea mining project was born last year when a Norwegian study mentioned the discovery of major deposits of rare-earth elements (cobalt, copper, nickel, manganese, zinc) on the extended continental shelf seabed.
These elements are used, among other things, in the manufacture of solar panels, wind turbines and electric car batteries. There can be no energy transition or green economy without these elements. They are therefore crucial to Norway’s energy transition, and deep-sea mining could well provide the country with these elements without having to rely on imports from foreign countries.
For the time being, Parliament’s decision will mainly pave the way for exploration. as the feasibility and economic interest of mining in the Arctic, where minerals are difficult to extract, is not guaranteed. Moreover, while Parliament has validated the project, it will still have to approve the issuing of operating licenses when the time comes. In other words, the first mining platforms off the Svalbard coast are not for tomorrow.
However, it remains to be seen how Norway is going to manage this paradox: ensuring its transition to a green economy thanks to potentially devastating and polluting deep-sea mining in a particularly fragile region. Supporters of Norway’s decision argue that, while deep-sea mining is not without ecological consequences, it will also enable a more rapid transition to clean energy and, ultimately, generate fewer carbon emissions than land-based mining does. An argument that is not convincing to scientific and ecological circles.
Another question arised by the Parliament approval is what impact will Norway’s decision have on other countries with ambitions for deep-sea mining? While Norway has often emphasized its commitment to the environment, its latest decision could open the Pandora’s box, just as the International Seabed Authority is still working on regulations for mining in international waters.
Mirjana Binggeli, PolarJournal
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