To: The Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment of the Norwegian Parliament
By Godela von Kirchbach and Eva Riemer, Co-Chairs, European Grandparents for Climate
Concerning Public consultation: Private Member’s Bill regarding strengthening national and allied supply security as well as strategic interests through the extraction of seabed minerals on the Norwegian continental shelf, Document 8:272 S (2025–2026) which is on the agenda of the committee on May 26th.
The European Grandparents for Climate is an umbrella NGO whose members are 14 national organizations of senior citizens across Europe who fight for climate justice. We have joined forces on the European level to increase the efficacy of our political reach, to coordinate European campaigns and learn from each other, and to encourage the European Parliament to pursue climate-friendly policies.
We are aware that the Norwegian Parliament and its committee for energy and environment will consider an initiative as set out in the Document no. 8: 272.S regarding an early start for deep sea mineral extraction in parts of the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea.
We are concerned that such a decision would not be consistent with the advice of a large majority of scientists within Norway as well as internationally. An extensive documentation of potential consequences and risks was submitted to the Norwegian government in connection with the decision to open for the awarding of licenses for mapping, exploration and assessments of impacts in 2024. We are aware that the Parliament in December 2025 decided to delay the process of opening for a period of 4 years.
It is our view that a U-turn on such an important issue would be very unfortunate. The Norwegian Parliament would appear unpredictable and unreliable and to put its own short term economic interests before the interests of the global community to which the oceans belong. This would be in sharp contrast to the normal approach of the Norwegian Government which is one of long-term precaution on environmental issues.
International law appears not to be sufficient to secure adequate management and environmental protection. Despite the strengths of the UNCLOS Framework for Deep-Sea Mining, the regime still has critical weaknesses. The ISA has yet to finalize its exploitation regulations, leaving key issues—liability, environmental standards, and enforcement—unresolved. Scientific knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems remains minimal, undermining effective environmental safeguards. Compliance and monitoring mechanisms are weak, relying heavily on self-reporting, and benefit-sharing provisions remain unclear. These gaps create significant risks of long-lasting or even irreversible ecological harm and inequitable outcomes.
We would like to remind the Committee that on April 28th this year The European Parliament adopted, with a strong majority, a resolution on international ocean diplomacy that presses for the European Union (EU) and its 27 Member States to respond to unlawful deep-sea mining activities. The vote sends a clear political signal at a time of rising tensions over the governance of the international seabed.
The resolution comes in the context of the United States (US) accelerating efforts to enable deep-sea mining in international waters. New regulations will allow companies to bypass the exploration phase.
The UN Ocean Conference International Seabed Authority, UNOC in June 2025 recommended a moratorium or precautionary pause on exploitation and to take a stand against corporate pressure.
Norway is not a member of the EU, but a part of the European Economic Area and a strong supporter of the UN and rules based international relations. We would expect that through this commitment Norway would feel an obligation to act in solidarity with the EU as well as the UN on matters as critically important as climate, environment and international rules. Going solo on an issue as demanding as mining and mineral extraction in our oceans would not be an act of solidarity.
Our hope is that the Parliament of Norway will not turn around on the decision to delay the opening of seabed exploration but rather take a lead in international efforts to establish a moratorium on such activities until there is a strong, academically independent scientific consensus indicating that such activities can be carried out in a safe manner.
Yours sincerely,
Godela von Kirchbach and Eva Riemer, Co-Chairs
European Grandparents for Climate