The Norwegian government has halted plans to mine the arctic sea bed.
Plans to offer exploration licenses in the first half of 2025 were scrapped after leftwing party Sosialistisk Venstreparti (SV) demanded the concession in return for supporting the government’s budget.
In a statement issued shortly after the deal was agreed, SV party leader Kirsti Bergstø reiterated her party’s commitment to strengthening the transition to green industry and jobs.
The arctic mining plans “will not see the light of day so long as SV has one hand on the wheel,” said Bergstø.
Norway has amassed enormous wealth through exploitation of its plentiful natural resources and officials believe substantial deposits of metals and minerals lie under arctic waters.
But the licensing plans have drawn criticism from activists around the world.
“This is a crucial win in the fight against deep sea mining,” said Greenpeace’s Norway chief, Frode Pleym. “It should be the nail in the coffin for the destructive industry.”
Numerous other organizations, including the European Parliament and Norway’s own Environment Agency, have expressed concern over the plans.
