RDE684 Negating the necessity for International Deep Sea Mining

International Deep-Sea Mining (IDSM) for CM (Critical Minerals), minerals with high economic vulnerability and a high global supply risk, is an area of international interest with multiple state actors sponsoring exploratory studies in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the mid Pacific. The tension between of resource security and environmental protection is a key issue for Defra. We are keen to understand, in detail, the potential for the UK need to be met through resource efficiency, rather than primary extraction from the seabed.