Seabed minerals in Norway. An analysis of conflicts and sustainability issues.

Abstract

The increasing demand for metals for use in renewable technologies and electronics has led to a surge in the interest in the minerals found on the seabed. The demand is driven by the need for green technologies to reach climate goals, population growth, and environmental, social, and economic challenges with today’s mining methods on land. Deep-sea mining is an industry still in its infancy, and there is currently no commercial exploitation taking place, but several countries are looking to exploit marine minerals either within their jurisdictional zones or in the Area, the common heritage of mankind. There has been significant opposition to the marine minerals industry due to environmental, social, and legal challenges, which led to several countries signing an international moratorium in the fall of 2021. Norway is one of few countries that voted against the moratorium and has initiated an opening process for deep-sea mining on the Norwegian continental shelf.

This thesis analyzes the drivers and motivations for deep-sea mining, how a marine mineral industry aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, why Norway has decided to take a different approach to seabed mining than most other countries, and the sustainability issues raised in the impact assessment program related to the opening process on the Norwegian continental shelf. Questions of sustainability, the Precautionary Principle, risk, and decision-making under uncertainty are considered. The study uses both primary and secondary data. The primary data was collected through three semi-structured interviews. The secondary data used for this thesis were public consultation documents, White Papers, UN reports, and peer-reviewed scientific literature. Based on the analysis, the thesis suggests that ultimately, the society must make choices if we are to succeed with both the transition to a low- carbon emission future and in meeting the needs of a growing population. However, making decisions under uncertainty is challenging, deciding how much risk one is willing to take and how much weight to give precautionary measures. This decision is likely to not rely entirely on scientific knowledge, but also on political interests, social values, and technological development.