The Australian Government has officially announced its support for a global deep sea mining moratorium. This decision arrives just ahead of the International Seabed Authority assembly, which is scheduled to take place in Kingston, Jamaica, this week.
Environmental Commitments and International Waters
According to Greenpeace, this commitment is part of the platform’s third chapter, focusing on climate and the environment. The agreement outlines that the federal government will lead ambitious international efforts to secure global agreements on a deep-sea mining moratorium in international waters.
The practice of extracting mineral deposits from the ocean floor, typically at depths exceeding 200 meters, has become the center of an ongoing global debate. These materials retrieved from the ocean floor are widely considered essential building blocks for renewable energy technologies, including Electric vehicle batteries, Wind turbines and Solar panels.
Responses Ahead of the International Seabed Authority Assembly
Susie Byers, the head of advocacy at Greenpeace, noted that this pledge to support a deep-sea mining moratorium is the strongest commitment from the government to date.
“The eyes of the world are now on Australia ahead of the International Seabed Authority assembly meeting next week, where delegates will discuss the future of deep-sea mining and protection of the sea floor,” Byers stated. She further emphasized that the practice is a destructive new industry that risks irreversible damage to the ocean and the communities worldwide that depend on it. Byers highlighted that these activities would have disproportionate impacts on Pacific nations, cultures, and economies.
Alignment with the Global Ocean Treaty
This development follows the federal government’s recent move to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty. Recognized as a highly significant international conservation agreement, the Global Ocean Treaty serves as a legally binding pact designed to conserve international waters.
Currently, more than 40 countries, which includes seven Pacific nations, have publicly called for a precautionary pause or a deep sea mining moratorium. While the Australian Government has committed to supporting a global pause, it has not yet formally announced a direct opposition to the extraction practice itself.