Global Commons at Risk? Exploring Risks and Dilemmas of Deep-Sea Mining

With growing global demand for minerals, deep-sea mining has gained significant interest in the recent years. While the practise has not been deployed at large scale yet, recent time pressure in the International Seabed Authority can make commercial deep-sea mining a reality within just two years. Mining the seafloor comes with a range of risks and uncertainties, why stakeholders are divided on whether or how to proceed. Moreover, seafloor areas deemed especially resource rich lie outside national jurisdiction, bringing even more complex considerations to the issue. This paper explores the risks and dilemmas of deep-sea mining from the three perspectives of environmental harm, equity and interstate tensions. In doing so, the paper contributes to an understanding of the complex trade-offs governing new types of climate change technologies and illustrates the need for more robust governance of global commons.