Sustainability Assessment of Deep Ocean Resources

Abstract

Critical or strategic minerals are important for the future sustainable energy and economic security. Unconventional resources are being sought to obtain these minerals. Research about the extraction of deep ocean resources (DOR) has increased significantly over the past decades. However, the understanding of social and environmental implications is still very poor – especially for remote, deep deposits where the relevant stakeholders are unclear and the environment ismostly unknown. This research will use reviews of law and literature, workshops interviews, and practitioner interviews to elucidate social acceptance of extracting these resources with web-based approaches. The research will also clarify environmental impacts by undertaking the first full life cycle assessment on DOR extraction to compare with land-based projects.