New challenges and risks for international business: how deep-seabed mining threatens sustainable development

Miguel Cordova and Marina A. Schmitz

Chapter 17 in The Elgar Companion to International Business and the Sustainable Development Goals, 2026, pp 356-367 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: The potential of deep-seabed mining activity has garnered interest due to the identification of deposits containing substantial quantities of economically valuable metals, including nickel, copper, cobalt, and rare earth elements. Nonetheless, deficiencies in understanding deep-sea life, along with the ambiguity of the techniques of seabed mining and their possible repercussions on the blue economy, marine ecosystems, and the SDG 14 (Life below water) development, would be the primary hurdles confronting the economic exploitation of these minerals by different stakeholder groups. Moreover, conflicts of interest and unfinished regulations exacerbate this issue, pushing humankind into an ethical and extremely complex decision towards the future of the ocean. This chapter highlights the potential impacts of global deep-seabed mining activity on international business, using a stakeholder perspective, emphasizing how the risks and roles associated with multinational corporations (MNCs) and other stakeholders can contribute to or undermine the sustainable dimension of this economic practice as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement.

Keywords: Seabed mining; Stakeholders; Blue economy; SDG 14; Sustainability; Global supply chains (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035348473
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