Weary delegatesĀ toĀ last weekās COP25Ā climateĀ talks have arrived back homeĀ toĀ digestĀ theĀ outcome forĀ oceanĀ sustainability andĀ theĀ blue economy.Ā TheĀ event featured over 100 side events with many focused onĀ theĀ opportunities forĀ ocean-based solutionsĀ toĀ climateĀ change, in particular, restoring ecosystems including mangrove forests and seagrass meadows that absorb carbon dioxide fromĀ theĀ atmosphere. Measures like these are badly neededĀ toĀ strengthenĀ theĀ carbon reduction plans that countries must submit in 2020 underĀ theĀ Paris Agreement.
The Economist Group’s WorldĀ OceanĀ Initiative covered COP25Ā asĀ itĀ kicked off in Madrid, as it entered its final stages, and as it concluded in disappointment. We also published a video on how the ocean can help to address climate change.
Is there a role for deep-sea mining?
The transition to a low-carbon economy will require huge volumes of metals such as nickel and copper to build millions of electric vehicles and wind turbines. Deep-sea mining promises to supply these metals at a much lower environmental cost than land-based mining. We spoke to mining companies, environmentalists and the regulator to assess the pros and cons of this controversial sector of the blue economy.