Norway halts arctic mining as environmentalists claim victory
Norway has withdrawn the first round of licenses for mining rare earth metals from the Arctic seabed following opposition from environmentalists. Conservationists are describing this as a historic victory.
Norway was the first country to allow commercial extraction of resources from the ocean floor. At the beginning of 2024, the Norwegian parliament passed a law permitting the exploration of precious metal deposits, which are essential for developing green technologies. However, the European Union and the United Kingdom, among others, opposed such activities. Biologists and environmentalists also protested, warning about the consequences of damaging the seabed. Further extraction was halted by the small environmental party, SV, in Norway, which effectively blocked plans for deep-sea mining on the Arctic Ocean floor.
Environmentalists: Mineral extraction will have catastrophic consequences
As recently as November, 120 European Union lawmakers sent a letter to the Norwegian parliament, appealing to reject the project due to potential threats to marine biodiversity and climate change. They pointed out numerous deficiencies in environmental impact assessments.
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 damage to organisms' habitats. Martin Webeler, an ocean advocate and researcher at the Environmental Justice Foundation, commented in a conversation with the BBC that extracting metals from the ocean floor will have "catastrophic" consequences for oceanic habitats.
Greenpeace: This is a key victory
Norway, which holds dominant hydrocarbon resources, is considered one of the world's wealthiest economies. However, this time Oslo had to shelve its ambitions related to extracting metals from the ocean floor. Although the government planned to start issuing exploration permits in 2025, it has temporarily suspended this process. The minority government in Norway lacks support on this issue.
— This is a crucial win in the fight against deep sea mining. It should be the nail in the coffin for the destructive industry — commented Frode Pleym, head of the Norwegian branch of Greenpeace, as quoted by Reuters.
Mining could resume
Despite suspending the projects, upcoming elections in Norway may change this situation. Two opposition parties, leading in the polls, the Conservatives and the Progress Party, have expressed support for deep-sea mining. The head of the Norwegian branch of Greenpeace, as quoted by Reuters, announced a decisive fight if the new government decides to resume issuing exploitation licenses.
The government is also criticized by local experts. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) pointed out that the decisions were based 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 regarding the impact on marine species may take 5 to 10 years.
Opening parts of the continental shelf for deep-sea mining is part of Norway's economic strategy, announced as early as June 2023. The aim is to reduce dependence on oil and gas, which the country's economy has relied on for years.
