High Seas Treaty fuels opposition to deep-sea mining at UN Climate Summit in New York

The High Seas Treaty will enter into force in 2026, fueling opposition to deep-sea mining at the UN Climate Summit in New York. Learn how this milestone could shape ocean biodiversity protection.

A newly ratified global treaty to safeguard marine life is expected to intensify debates over deep-sea mining during this week’s United Nations Climate Summit, held alongside the General Assembly of world leaders.

The High Seas Treaty, formally known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) agreement, will come into force in January 2026. The breakthrough was achieved after Morocco became the 60th country to ratify the deal, crossing the threshold required for UN treaties to enter into effect.

Two decades in the making, the pact enables the creation of vast marine protected areas in international waters, with the goal of safeguarding 30% of the ocean and halting biodiversity loss by 2030.

A milestone for ocean protection

Although the treaty does not directly address seabed mining, it obliges governments to coordinate with the International Seabed Authority (ISA), based in Jamaica, which has not yet approved any commercial deep-sea mining projects in international waters.

Environmental groups hailed the move as historic. Lisa Speer, director of the International Oceans Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, called it a “once-in-a-generation conservation opportunity.”

Kirsten Schuijt, director general of WWF International, described the agreement as a “turning point for two-thirds of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction.”

Mining ambitions move ahead

Despite the conservation momentum, several nations are pressing forward with seabed mining plans. Just hours after the treaty surpassed the ratification threshold, India signed a 15-year contract with the ISA granting it exclusive rights to explore polymetallic sulphides in the Indian Ocean. India now holds the largest ISA-assigned exploration zone and has already conducted deep-sea trials.

New Delhi is also seeking licenses to explore nickel, manganese, and copper deposits in the Pacific Ocean.

So far, France is the only G7 country to ratify the High Seas Treaty, though more are expected to join during the UN summit in New York. The United States, meanwhile, has signed but not ratified the pact. While the Biden administration endorsed the treaty, former President Trump has withheld ratification and moved to allocate seabed mining rights directly to private companies, bypassing the UN regulator.

The Trump administration has promoted seabed mining as a strategy to secure critical minerals and reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. A White House official said the sector could generate 100,000 jobs and add hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy over the next decade.

Corporate race for critical minerals

Private companies are also advancing quickly. California-based Impossible Metals has applied for exploration rights both under U.S. law and through the ISA, targeting the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific—one of the world’s richest regions for copper, nickel, manganese, and other metals crucial for electric vehicle batteries.

Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) filed for a commercial license in April and secured an $85.2 million investment from Korea Zinc in June. The deal positions Korea Zinc as a non-Chinese alternative for refining TMC’s materials into battery-grade metals.

Global scramble for resources

Beyond the U.S. and India, countries such as the Cook Islands, Japan, and Norway are pushing ahead with seabed mining in their own waters, citing concerns over looming supply shortages. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects demand for copper and rare earth elements will rise 40% by 2040, while demand for lithium, cobalt, and nickel could increase by as much as 90%.

Industry advocates argue that deep-sea extraction leaves a smaller environmental footprint than traditional land-based mining. Opponents, however, warn that the deep ocean remains largely unexplored, and disturbing fragile ecosystems could trigger cascading effects across marine biodiversity.