The Labour party has said the UK should back the call for a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, ahead of a crucial meeting of nations in Jamaica to decide the future of the industry.
David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, said the Labour party was adding its voice to a growing list of countries and businesses urging that moves to start mining be halted “until and unless” there was clear scientific evidence that it could be done safely and the marine environment would be protected by new regulations.
Last week, Ireland and Sweden became the latest developed economies to join scientists, environmental organisations, and multinationals including BMW, Volvo and Samsung, in opposing the rush to mine the deep sea.
Britain is among 14 countries sponsoring exploration or research contracts – the only type allowed so far – by companies intent on mining the deep sea. The others are China, Russia, South Korea, India, France, Poland, Brazil, Japan, Jamaica, Belgium, Nauru, Tonga and Kiribati.
On Monday, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an autonomous organisation under the United Nations umbrella of 168 member states charged with regulating deep-sea mining, opened a key meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, to resume negotiations over exploitation.
It is possible that commercial applications for deep-sea mining could get the green light even before any regulations are approved, because of a deadline that passed on Sunday 9 July.
In a speech at the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law in London, Lammy said Labour would restore the UK’s reputation as a country that respected and upheld international law, which he said had been damaged by the Conservatives, and to lead on the challenges of the future, including the climate crisis.
“Because the climate crisis can only be solved at a global level and today, as the International Seabed Authority meets to discuss deep-sea mining, Labour will join France, Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand, Spain, Chile, Ecuador, Vanuatu and Costa Rica, as well as businesses including BMW, Renault, Google, Samsung and Philips, in taking action by calling for a precautionary pause on this practice until and unless there is clear scientific evidence it can be done safely and the marine environment can be effectively protected by new regulation,” he said.
Lammy described the climate emergency as “the greatest challenge we face” and said Labour would take a leading role in proposing new international legal frameworks to face the crisis.
He set out how, if the party won the next election, a Labour government would enshrine its commitment to the international rule of law, push for climate action to become a fifth pillar of the UN – alongside peace, human rights, the rule of law and development – and work with international partners at the international criminal court to agree a new global law of ecocide.
Greenpeace, which has long called for a halt to deep-sea mining, welcomed Labour’s stance as a “welcome step towards stopping this industry”.
Ariana Densham, Greenpeace UK’s head of oceans, said: “Labour’s commitment to a precautionary pause for deep-sea mining is a welcome step towards stopping this industry from ever starting. They join a movement of countries, scientists and businesses which say no, due to the inherent risks the deep-sea mining industry poses to the marine environment.
“By announcing this on the first day of the ISA meeting in Jamaica, Labour’s commitment exposes how the UK government’s position is out of line with science and its own longstanding promise to protect the oceans,” she said. “The UK government should take note and follow Labour’s lead to confirm support for a ban or moratorium within the critical global negotiations over the next fortnight.”
The UK has so far only pushed for high environmental standards via the ISA and said it would not support commercial mining “unless and until” there were enforceable regulations and enough scientific evidence to judge the impact on marine ecosystems.
A spokesperson for the government said: “We recognise the growing pressure to extract deep-sea resources and are concerned about the potential impacts of mining activities on the fragile marine environment.
“This is why the UK will maintain its precautionary and conditional position of not sponsoring or supporting the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep-sea mining projects unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems, and strong enforceable environmental regulations, standards and guidelines have been developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and are in place.”