ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND GOVERNANCE (ESG)
Calls for a moratorium on commercial seabed mining have gained significant traction.
Ilya Epikhin.
Amer Hage Chahine.
Seabed mining at a crossroads: Balancing opportunity and environmental risk By Ilya Epikhin and A mer Hage Chahine, Arthur D. Little The global seabed mining industry is at a crossroads. Despite decades of research, exploration missions, trial harvesting tests, and technological innovation, commercial exploitation has yet to officially begin. After the most recent International Seabed Authority (ISA) summit in Kingston, Jamaica, in July, the sector remains in a state of uncertainty, caught between the promise of deep-sea resources for the green energy transition and concerns over potential environmental damage to fragile ocean ecosystems. Regulatory uncertainty
ecosystem disruption, and carbon release from the seabed. Data on deep-ocean environments are largely collected by exploration companies under ISA contracts. Scientists onboard these expeditions conduct environmental assessments, often publishing research derived from company-provided resources. While this collaboration has increased baseline knowledge, critics highlight potential conflicts of interest and gaps in independent verification. Consequently, the role of independent scientists and environmental organisations remains central to the debate. Nations driving seabed mining Despite environmental concerns, several countries remain committed to advancing seabed mining. These include China, Russia, India, Japan, and South Korea — nations with significant financial and technological investments in the sector. Japan and South Korea are particularly notable for combining upstream exploration with downstream processing investments. Industrial groups in these countries are developing technologies to convert polymetallic nodules into metals critical for electric vehicles and battery production,
The framework required for large-scale extraction — known as the Mining Code — is still incomplete. Earlier optimism, especially following political signals from key countries, including a US presidential decree in April expressing support for resource exploitation, has yet to translate into regulatory approval. While the United States has not ratified the Law of the Sea and is not part of the ISA, it remains a major player in global discussions. The ISA has not yet adopted exploitation regulations, with environmental safeguards forming the core of the debate. Negotiations continue to reflect a divide between states prioritizing commercial opportunity and those advocating for precautionary pauses or moratoria. The moratorium debate Calls for a moratorium on commercial seabed mining have gained significant traction, with support from more than 35 countries worldwide. These governments argue that, until the scientific understanding of deep-sea ecosystems improves, mining could cause widespread and potentially irreversible ecological harm. Key concerns include sediment plumes, biodiversity loss,
24 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | March 2026
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