Lawmakers in Greenland unanimously adopted a proposal on Thursday asking the government to draft legislation banning deep-sea mining and exploration. The moratorium will stay in place until at least the end of 2029.
Fisheries are the main driver of the economy in the Danish autonomous territory. Hunting also plays a key role for livelihoods across many local communities.
Inhabitants of the island are wary of the environmental consequences linked to deep-sea mining. Greenland halted all new oil and gas exploration permits in 2021.
Industrial-scale oil or gas drilling has never taken place in the territory. Operations face heavy challenges due to harsh conditions and poor infrastructure.
Unexploited minerals believed to lie beneath the vast Arctic ground and seabed could support new technology and defence industries. These resources are also viewed as a springboard toward independence from Denmark.
Independence is a goal backed by a majority of the island’s 57,000 inhabitants. Greenland currently receives subsidies from the Danish government that account for roughly 20 percent of its economy, and the territory would need massive investment to survive on its own.
Under the proposal adopted on Thursday, the Greenlandic government holds the option to extend the mining moratorium in two-year increments.
WWF Greenland hailed the move as an important step. The organisation stated that limited scientific knowledge still exists regarding the potential consequences of deep-sea mining for the marine environment.
With this decision, Greenland has the opportunity to send a signal that the protection of the ocean, nature, and livelihoods must be taken seriously when facing new forms of exploiting marine resources, according to the WWF.
The parliamentary vote took place a day after United States President Donald Trump stated that oil, gas and mineral exploitation was about to begin in Greenland. He did not specifically mention deep-sea mining during his remarks.
Washington signed a security deal in September with the leaders of Greenland and Denmark. The agreement followed threats from Trump to take Copenhagen’s strategically important Arctic territory by force.
