Norway freezes plans for Arctic seabed mining after budget deal

Norway has halted its plans to open large Arctic areas for deep-seabed mining after the opposition Socialist Left Party (SV) secured a pause in a late-night budget agreement with the government. The decision suspends all licensing for seabed mineral exploration and extraction through 2025, marking the most significant political shift yet in Norway’s emerging deep-sea mining ambitions.

Announcing the deal, SV leader Kirsti Bergstø said there would be “no licensing round and no announcement of one.” The halt applies to all planned licensing processes in Norwegian waters, including areas in the Arctic where the potential environmental impact has drawn international concern.

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre later told TV 2 that the move should be understood as a postponement rather than a permanent stop, indicating that the government wants more time before deciding whether commercial mining should proceed.

Bergstø noted that SV does not “hold power forever,” but stressed that seabed mining will not happen during this parliamentary period.

Environmental organisations including WWF and Greenpeace have repeatedly warned that deep-sea mining could cause irreversible damage to fragile ecosystems that scientists still know little about. Norway’s earlier plan to move ahead with a licensing round had drawn strong criticism at home and abroad, especially given the country’s global reputation for sustainable ocean management.

Although the budget agreement covers a wide range of domestic measures, the freeze on seabed mining is seen as SV’s biggest victory. The decision effectively slows Norway’s attempt to become one of the first nations to open its seabed for commercial mining and brings it closer to countries calling for a global moratorium.