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

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