"Norway's plans for deep-sea mining in the Arctic will cause irreversible damage to biodiversity," Greenpeace said, publishing a report titled "Deep-sea mining in the Arctic: Living treasures at risk".
It says deep-sea mining would pose an additional danger to a little-studied ecosystem already threatened by global warming.
Among the dangers cited are the direct removal of seabed habitats and organisms, noise and light pollution, the risk of chemical leakage from machinery and equipment, and the accidental displacement of species.
"Mining will cause lasting damage to these ecosystems and it will remain impossible to assess the full extent of these impacts, let alone control them," said Kirsten Young, head of Greenpeace's research department.
"Norway's plans directly threaten not only species and seabed habitats, but the wider marine ecosystem, from the smallest plankton to the largest whales," she said.
Norwegian authorities have stressed the importance of not relying on China or authoritarian states for minerals that are essential for renewable technologies.
Oslo also argued that mapping and exploration would enable knowledge gaps to be filled.
"The global transition to a low-carbon society will require vast quantities of minerals and metals," said Astrid Bergmal, state secretary at the Department of Energy
"Today, mineral extraction is largely concentrated in a small number of countries or companies. This can contribute to supply vulnerability, which is a challenge, especially in today's geopolitical situation," she said.
Some of the minerals are used in the manufacture of batteries, wind turbines, computers and mobile phones.
Norway insists that any potential exploitation will only take place after "responsible and sustainable" methods have been established, and the first projects will have to be approved in advance by the government and parliament.
Oslo plans to open a 281,000 sq km area - about half the size of France - in the Norwegian and Greenland seas to exploration, and aims to issue the first permits in the first half of 2025
Protesters against Norway's plans include the European Parliament and environmental organisations, while countries such as France and the UK and dozens of major companies have called for a moratorium on deep-sea drilling. | BGNES
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