Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to paragraph 29 of the G7 Climate, Energy and Environment Ministers’ Communiqué, published on 27 May 2022, what steps her Department plans to take to assess the potential (a) impacts of deep sea mining operations and (b) environmental harms; and if she will make a statement.

We continue to act responsibly in line with the position set out in the communiqué, including through taking a precautionary approach. We commissioned an independent evidence review into the potential risks and benefits of deep sea mining, which was published in October 2022:

https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/deep-sea-mining-evidence-review-published/

Through the UK’s sponsorship of academic research and existing exploration licences, over 70 peer-reviewed publications supporting a greater understanding of environmental issues associated with deep-sea mining have already been produced, with more to come. The Government is also part-funding the SMARTEX project on seabed mining and resilience to experimental impact, which aims to build a better understanding of the ecosystem in the Pacific abyss.