DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (IPS) – Deep sea mining may not be on the official agenda of next week’s World Economic Forum in Davos (Jan 20-24), but it will restore public confidence in international cooperation. It’s important to do this.
Perhaps the most important commitment African and European leaders can make here to restore confidence in their ability to solve complex problems and protect the health of our planet and our interconnected oceans is to demand an end to deep-sea mining in the high seas .
As co-chairs of the Africa-Europe Strategic Group on Ocean Governance, an initiative of the European Commission, in collaboration with the African Union Commission and supported by the Africa-Europe Foundation, we have already started discussing how both continents can benefit . Strengthen cooperation on fisheries management, marine pollution and habitat protection, especially in the face of climate change. Now, with mining companies in the Global North putting pressure on the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to authorize commercial deep-sea mining in 2025 without agreed regulations or environmental safeguards, we urgently need to direct our attention and global influence to the seabed. It must be returned to .
Exploration permits have already been approved for potato-sized polymetallic nodules containing elements such as cobalt and nickel. Unfortunately, the mining process involves dragging bulldozers thousands of meters below the seafloor, vacuuming the nodules onto ships and cleaning them with high-pressure hoses, leaving behind huge clouds of silt.
Scientists are increasingly sounding the alarm about the potential impact of deep-sea mining on fragile marine habitats, with the potential to irreversibly destroy species and ecosystems.
Contrary to the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples and coastal communities who were once thought to be devoid of life, new research has revealed an environment teeming with numerous fish, squid and crustaceans (many species only recently discovered) that play an essential role in the environment. and the wider global marine system, including African and European fisheries.
Other studies suggest that disrupting seafloor sediments could disrupt the largest carbon sink on Earth and potentially release carbon into the atmosphere, worsening the climate crisis at a time when we cannot afford it.
Both continents depend on a healthy marine environment for fisheries, tourism and food security. But even as we struggle to manage unprecedented pressures from over-mining, rapidly rising water temperatures, pollution and acidification, deep-sea mining poses a potentially lethal threat with far-reaching impacts that recognize no borders.
Supporters of mining, even some in Davos, argue that it is necessary to meet growing demand for batteries used in the burgeoning electric vehicle market. But as studies show that deep-sea metals are not needed to fuel the green transition, despite their astronomical costs and rising debt for the industry, companies have already begun to move away from the industry and invest in alternatives, including innovative battery chemistries and recycled materials. .
Deep-sea mining is unlikely to be profitable without large-scale government subsidies to better invest in improved refining and processing capacity, renewable technologies, and energy efficiency.
Given these enormous risks (and questionable benefits), the Afro-European-led moratorium on deep-sea mining is simply a prudent application of the precautionary approach that has guided marine conservation and international environmental treaties for decades. It is also consistent with key principles set out in the UN High Seas Convention, including conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing.
It will also lay the foundation for much greater collaboration, including marine research initiatives, marine genetic resources found in the deep sea, marine planning, application of local community and indigenous knowledge, and the establishment of dedicated research institutions that leverage our enormous talent and resources. You can experience it on both continents.
Political momentum is building against deep sea mining. Today, 32 countries announced their support for a moratorium, precautionary pause, or outright ban, joined by numerous indigenous and civil society organizations, major corporations, financial institutions, and science and policy experts from around the world. .
If there’s one lesson we’ve learned from solving global challenges over the past few decades, it’s how incredibly difficult it is to bring about change once powerful interests are established. This year, deep-sea mining companies are putting pressure on the ISA to approve full-scale commercial operations.
Without immediate action from world leaders in Davos, deep-sea mining and its destruction could remain entrenched for decades. Africa and Europe have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the value of international cooperation by stopping these harmful practices before they begin.
Pascal RamiCo-Chair of the African-European Strategic Group on Ocean Governance, Vice President of the Paris Peace Forum, former Secretary-General of the World Trade Organization, former European Trade Commissioner and Ambassador Nancy KarigituCo-Chairman of the African-European Strategic Group on Ocean Governance, Ambassador to Kenya, Special Envoy and Adviser to the President on Oceans and the Blue Economy, and former Principal Secretary for Shipping and Maritime Affairs, Government of Kenya.
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