Deep sea mining businesses are banking on the EV market to kickstart this destructive sector, which may start operations as soon as next year.
Nonetheless, five of the eight electric vehicle manufacturers rated by Greenpeace (Rivian, Renault, BMW Group, Volvo, and Volkswagen) have openly backed a global ban on deep sea mining and have publicly pledged to avoid purchasing minerals from the deep bottom.
Ford, General Motors, and Tesla were ranked last because they have not made a public commitment or vowed to eliminate deep sea minerals from their supply chains.
Electric car manufacturers have alternative choices for reducing mineral need: they may reduce demand by increasing closed-loop battery recycling and improving battery efficiency and new chemistries – two criteria taken into account in this ranking.
As resistance grows from frontline communities, civil society, scientists, car and technology firms, financial institutions, and the fishing industry, momentum is building for a moratorium to halt the budding business before it begins.
Chile recently petitioned the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for a 15-year embargo on the fledgling sector. Over 200 members of parliament from 47 nations have asked for a ban on deep sea mining, citing worries about the industry’s impact on ocean health as well as people’s lives and livelihoods.
Reference- Greenpeace USA, Clean Technica, National Geographic