WWF-Norway Sues Norwegian Government Over “Illegal” Deep Sea Mining Impact Assessment

UPDATE 1 December – Norway has now halted its first deep-seabed mining licensing round, initially planned for 2025, following intervention by the Socialist Left Party (SV) during budget negotiations. This decision, hailed as a significant victory by WWF, provides an opportunity to prioritize ocean health and address critical knowledge gaps before exploiting the deep sea. WWF-Norway has emphasized the urgency of safeguarding marine biodiversity and urged the government to support a global moratorium on seabed mining. The move reflects growing international pressure to prevent irreversible harm to the ocean while calling for a shift away from destructive industries like fossil fuels.

WWF-Norway has taken legal action against the Norwegian government for opening areas for deep seabed mining activities. The trial starts in Oslo District Court on Thursday 28 November 2024.

Earlier this year, the Norwegian government decided to open large ocean areas for deep sea mining activities.

WWF believes that the Ministry of Energy’s strategic impact assessment, which forms the basis of the government’s decision to open areas, does not meet the minimum legal requirements under the Seabed Minerals Act, rendering the opening illegal.

As a result, WWF has taken legal action against the government.

“This lawsuit is not about whether we should engage in deep seabed mining, but about the level of knowledge that must be in place before politicians make crucial decisions with potentially catastrophic consequences,” says WWF-Norway CEO Karoline Andaur, adding:

“This strategic impact assessment is so poor that it is illegal.”

Norway, now one of the first countries in the world to open for the nascent industry, has been heavily criticized for the opening process, both by its own environmental authorities, national and international research communities, as well as on the international stage.

“While the European Parliament, our Nordic neighbors and a number of other countries call for a moratorium and are taking their time to gather sufficient knowledge, the government is planning to issue exploitation licenses already in the first half of 2025. Once again, they show that other priorities take precedence over knowledge-based nature management,” Andaur says.

“It’s really difficult to understand why the government chooses to put both nature and Norway’s international reputation on the line by continuing this irresponsible and rushed process”, she concludes.

For further information:
Andrea Norgren | Sr. Manager Communications, WWF Global Arctic Programme | andrea.norgren@wwf.se