Framtiden for gruvedrift på havbunnen: mineraler, industri, samfunnet, og politisk forvaltning av ressurser fra havbunnen

What: Does the future require deep-sea mining? This event brings together two interdisciplinary panels of researchers. The first panel will share perspectives on the role of deep-sea mining in supplying minerals for society and industry. The second panel discusses how deep-sea mining is currently considered within the framework of seabed governance.

Why: Deep-sea mining is a polarized topic, with conflicting views on whether we should develop a new industry and whether this industry would contribute to the future. Currently, there is a lack of knowledge on deep-sea ecosystems. The environmental baselines, the social license to operate, and the legal framework are missing. There are ethical questions in relation to deep-sea mining and the level of fairness, inclusiveness, and transparency of deep-sea governance. Deliberations, and discussions among a plurality of voices are essential to guiding the way to future decision-making, especially in the context of the Storting vote on whether to open the Norwegian Continental Shelf for deep-sea mining exploration and exploitation.

Speakers (to be finalized):

Laura Drivdal, former researcher at SVT, academic librarian, UiB

Aiste Klimasauskaite, SVT & SEAS, UiB

Mari Heggernes Eilertsen, Centre for Deep Sea research, UiB

Håkon Larsen, Department of Social Anthropology, UiB

Edvard Hviding, Department of Social Anthropology, UiB

Claudiu Eduard Nedelciu, System Dynamics Group & SEAS, UiB

Dorothy Dankel, SINTEF Ocean

Knut Knapskog, Division of Student and Academic Affairs, Faculty of Law, UiB

Schedule:

10:00-10:30 Welcome with coffee & pastries

Deep-sea mining, energy transformation, and minerals for society

10:30-11:05 Block of perspective pitches

11:05-12:00 Moderated panel discussion (Aiste Klimasauskaite)

12:00-13:00 Lunch Break – light refreshments will be served.

Deep-sea mining and seabed governance

13:00-13:35 Block of perspective pitches

13:35-14:30 Moderated panel discussion (Claudiu Eduard Nedelciu)

14:30-14:45 Wrap-up and conclusions (Claudiu Eduard Nedelciu & Aiste Klimasauskaite)

Organizers: The System Dynamics Group and the Centre for the Studies of the Sciences and the Humanities (SVT). This event received funding from the Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET) as part of the Accelerator Grant and from the SEAS Programme at UiB.

Registration is now open. Please register as soon as possible since there are limited slots available.