ABSTRACT
The seabed beyond national jurisdiction which as noted by scholars covers approximately half of the planet, contains deposits of valuable minerals such as cobalt, manganese, copper, zinc, nickel and rare earth elements, particularly sought after by green technologies (including electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar cells) and tech-oriented industries such as the industry of smartphones. This chapter explores what role if any the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (in particular the Seabed Disputes Chamber) may play in addressing the most urgent issues raised by deep-sea mining and clarification of the relevant legal notions under UNCLOS. Chen et al. observe that Arctic sub-sea permafrost contains more organic carbon than the terrestrial counterpart and is undergoing fast degradation in response to climate warming.
