Mining and mineral resources have always been a lightning rod for economic and political power, and the modern era is no different – 2025 has seen a market acceleration in states and private companies vying for the world's...more
As global demand for critical minerals intensifies — driven by the energy transition, technological innovation, and geopolitical competition — deep-sea mining has emerged as a potential frontier in resource development. At...more
In part one of an explainer series about international deep-sea mining regulation, Louise Woods and Elena Guillet share advice for setting up sponsorship agreements between contractors and sponsoring states. The ISA has...more
The IRA and CRMA are the clearest results of a race to reclaim control over critical raw materials following the global supply chain vulnerabilities exposed during the pandemic and exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,...more
Sixty years after the discovery of polymetallic nodules and thirty years after the establishment of the International Seabed Authority (“ISA”), deep-sea mining could be licensed as early as July 2023. The ISA is expected to...more