Norwegian Arctic Deep Sea Mining Plan Suspended: Environmental Awareness Awakens

In the face of strong opposition from the international community, Norway on 1 December halted a planned mineral resource exploration program in the 280,000 square kilometers of the Arctic Circle. Previously, the Norwegian parliament had approved the proposal in January, making it the first country in the world to approve a commercial deep-sea mining project. However, this time the Norwegian socialist left-wing party challenged the ruling coalition to stop issuing licenses, which led to the suspension of the program until the end of the current government’s term of office, making it difficult to start again. Environmental groups have argued that deep-sea mining is unsustainable, damaging marine ecosystems and leading to species extinction.