Deep-Sea Minerals: What Manufacturers and Markets Need to Know

The document introduces the potential for deep-sea mining of cobalt-rich crusts, seabed massive sulphides, and polymetallic nodules, noting that these minerals could enter consumer products by 2030. It highlights a critical window for manufacturers to influence the International Seabed Authority's (ISA) regulations and national frameworks to ensure responsible sourcing. While deep-sea mining could reduce the need for mining in pristine land areas and lower the carbon footprint of electric vehicle batteries, it poses severe risks to marine biodiversity and could disrupt the livelihoods of fishing communities and indigenous cultures. The paper argues that proactive engagement is necessary to avoid the stakeholder dissatisfaction and legal challenges previously seen in land-based cobalt and palm oil supply chains.

• Deep-sea minerals are categorized into three types: cobalt-rich crusts found on seamounts, seabed massive sulphides formed via hydrothermal vents, and polymetallic nodules located on the deep-ocean seabed.
• The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has already issued 30 exploration contracts across 20 countries, and regulations for exploitation may be finalized at its 2021 assembly.
• Deep-sea mining could provide significant environmental benefits by reducing the pressure to mine pristine land-based areas and lowering the carbon footprint of green technologies. One study suggests nodule mining for a billion electric cars could save 11.5 Gt of CO2 emissions.
• Environmental risks include severe impacts on marine life from sediment plumes, noise, and light, which could lead to the loss of unique genetic material potentially useful for medical research.
• Social and economic risks include the potential for reduced fish catches affecting fishing communities, the erosion of cultural and spiritual significance for groups such as those in Papua New Guinea, and the escalation of international tensions over contested waters.
• Manufacturers face high reputational and legal risks if they do not ensure responsible sourcing, citing previous lawsuits regarding child labour in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo and deforestation linked to palm oil in Indonesia.

APA

World Economic Forum (2020). Deep-Sea Minerals: What Manufacturers and Markets Need to Know. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_BP_Deep-Sea_Minerals_2020.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Deep-Sea Minerals: What Manufacturers and Markets Need to Know. 2020. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_BP_Deep-Sea_Minerals_2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Deep-Sea Minerals: What Manufacturers and Markets Need to Know |date=November 2020 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_BP_Deep-Sea_Minerals_2020.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2020deepsea, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Deep-Sea Minerals: What Manufacturers and Markets Need to Know}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_BP_Deep-Sea_Minerals_2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }