Navigating the Path to Legal Enhancements in China’s Deep-Sea Mining Environmental Governance

Abstract

As deep seabed mining technology matures and global demand for key minerals grows, new requirements are being posed to environmental governance systems. However, given the urgent need to formulate the Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area, China’s existing legal provisions on environmental governance of deep-sea mining are too principled to meet the needs of practice, thus hindering the goal of marine environmental protection. In response to the above dilemma, this paper proposes improvement suggestions from three perspectives: the licensing system of deep-sea mining, the environmental regulatory system for deep-sea mining, and the financial system of deep-sea mining. These suggestions aim to enhance the adaptability and effectiveness of China’s deep-sea mining environmental governance system.