With only two days left of PrepCom, the key ocean treaty talks happening at the UN HQ this week, Greenpeace UK is calling on the UK government to ask its delegates in New York to completely reject the new text proposed.

Megan Randles, Greenpeace’s head of delegation to the UN talks, said:

“The organisations that have presided over decades of destruction on the high seas have made a completely unacceptable power-grab which would dramatically weaken the Treaty’s ability to protect the ocean.

“They are attempting to re-write the Treaty in favour of fishing industry vested interests. These organisations want to be able to block and derail conservation progress, like the creation of marine protected areas, and these amendments would give them power to do just that.

“We urgently need governments to reject these proposals before key ocean treaty talks end. If they don’t, they risk failing in their commitment to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 with catastrophic consequences.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

1. Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) are attempting to weaken the High Seas Treaty text to give themselves additional powers that would significantly restrict ocean protection measures. Campaigners are sounding the alarm on this proposed text where RFMOs have made significant amendments, the relevant sections are: Para 1(b), (c), (g bis), (g ter), (i), Para 4, Para 5. These amendments would shore up RFMOs own supremacy, and stall and derail ocean protection measures like sanctuary proposals.
2. The current language of the text goes far beyond the existing article 5 of the Treaty.

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UK MPAs are designated to protect marine wildlife and fragile ocean habitats but, as the analysis of European fisheries landings data [1] proves, these designations are currently nothing more than lines on a map. 

Of the 1.3 million tonnes, over 1 million were caught by pelagic trawlers – vessels that use enormous nets up to 240 metres wide and 50 metres long, scooping up everything in their path. 250,000 tonnes were caught by bottom-towed gear, including bottom trawlers, which drag heavy, destructive nets across the seabed, devastating marine ecosystems. [2]

Campaigners say the findings expose the stark gap between political promises and reality at sea. Large-scale industrial fishing continues to devastate areas that are supposed to be safe havens – even though the UK government has had the powers to change this since Brexit.

Chris Thorne, Senior Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: 

“Just beneath the surface of our seas, right here in the UK, lies an extraordinary world of marine life – from shoals of colourful fish to dolphins to seahorses – but it’s facing a level of vandalism greater than we’d ever accept on land.

“The government claims vast areas of UK waters are protected, but the reality is a national scandal. Since 2020, more than 1.3 million tonnes of fish have been caught inside the UK’s so-called marine protected areas. 

“Protection means nothing if these hulking industrial trawlers are allowed to devastate crucially important areas. MPAs should be safe havens where our incredible marine life and ecosystems can recover and thrive. Instead they remain protected only on paper and precious ocean life is being pushed to the brink.”

A process to ban bottom trawling across the MPA network began in 2020 [3], and this analysis highlights the cost of delay. Various governments have dragged their feet in implementing it, allowing industrial vessels to continue dragging heavy, destructive nets across the seabed, devastating marine ecosystems. Almost one fifth of the total catch (250,000 tonnes) was caught using bottom-towed gear. 

Even if a bottom trawling ban was fully implemented, the revelation that 1 million tonnes of fish caught was caught in MPAs using pelagic gear – which would not be restricted by current bottom-trawling proposals – makes it clear that marine life and habitats inside UK MPAs would remain exposed and vulnerable.

Chris Thorne continued: 

“Since leaving the EU, the UK government has had full powers to properly protect our marine protected areas – a measure that’s needed not only for marine life itself but also to support local fishing communities. Yet many remain little more than lines on a map.

“Banning bottom trawling in some sites would be a step forward, but other destructive fishing methods would still be allowed and much of the MPA network would remain vulnerable.

“If the government wants to show real leadership on ocean protection, it must stop all industrial fishing in UK MPAs and work with other states to properly protect 30% of the wider Atlantic Ocean by 2030, including the Sargasso Sea. This is the only way to ensure our oceans can recover and sustain future generations.”

ENDS

Notes to editor

[1] UK fisheries data: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-sea-fisheries-annual-statistics-report-2024 

EU fisheries data: https://stecf.ec.europa.eu/data-dissemination/fdi_en

[2] 250,000 tonnes were caught by bottom-towed gear, including beam trawls, demersal trawls, dredges and demersal seines. These are all covered by the proposed MPA bans on bottom-towed gear. 

[3] The Marine protected areas process has 4 stages. We are currently in the middle of Stage 3. 

• Stage 1, which began in 2020, focused on the initial review and introduction of byelaws for four offshore MPAs to protect specific features. 
• Stage 2 targeted 13 specific MPAs, primarily focusing on protecting “rock, and rocky and biogenic reef features” from the impacts of bottom-towed fishing gear. 
• Stage 3 aims to manage remaining fishing activities in MPAs not covered by Stage 1 or 2, and will cover parts of 42 further MPAs. We are currently waiting for the MMO to release the results of their analysis of the consultation on this stage.
• Stage 4 covers the impacts of fishing on MPAs with highly mobile species features. These are two MPAs protecting harbour porpoise, and three MPAs protecting certain bird species. The consultation on this stage is still to come. 

Methodology: 

A full brief on the method used in this analysis is available here

A breakdown of the data is available on request.

Video content:

Archive footage from 2020-2024 featuring supertrawlersfishing inside UK MPAs and supertrawlers that have previously fished inside UKMPAs plus Greenpeace supertrawler/ MPA protests: https://media.greenpeace.org/Detail/27MZIFJVQZYOW

February 2026 footage from Greenpeace UK’s latest monitoring tour of UKMPAs in the English Channel is available for download via WeTransfer here.

Key findings: 

• 1.347 million tonnes of fish were caught inside UK offshore MPAs
• More than 1 million tonnes were caught using pelagic gear, which will not be restricted by proposed bottom-trawling bans
• 250,000 tonnes of fish caught using bottom-towed fishing gear
• EU vessels caught around 800,000 tonnes, while UK vessels caught around 545,000 tonnes

The post More than 1.3 million tonnes of fish taken from UK’s marine protected areas since 2020, new analysis reveals appeared first on Greenpeace UK.

The five largest North Sea oil and gas companies have received a staggering £73 billion boost to the value of their shares in the month since the first US-Israeli attacks on Iran, new analysis by Greenpeace UK shows. 

The sharp rise in the value of their stocks means fossil fuel producers are now expecting a huge “war windfall”, prompting campaigners to call for a strengthening of the windfall tax.

One month of Donald Trump’s illegal war in Iran has resulted in death and destruction and turmoil in global energy markets, pushing up UK petrol prices and threatening higher bills and inflation. At the same time, the sudden spike in oil and gas prices has led to a huge increase in the market value of many fossil fuel companies.

Analysis by Greenpeace shows that in just four weeks, the combined market capitalisation of Shell, TotalEnergies, BP, Equinor and Harbour Energy has jumped by £73.5 billion. Shell and Equinor top the list, with each company’s total market value soaring by around £20 billion and Shell’s share price hitting an all-time high last week.

The market shock from the conflict in the Middle East is set to deliver a multi-billion-pound boost to oil giants’ profits. Despite this, the industry has been lobbying ministers to scrap the Energy Profits Levy, the government’s main tool to tax fossil fuel firms’ unearned profits. 

Shell and Equinor are also attempting to capitalise on instability in global oil and gas supply by pressuring ministers into greenlighting the controversial Rosebank oilfield. A 95,000-tonne production ship, the Petrojarl Rosebank, is currently sailing to the UK despite the companies having no permission to start production at the site.

Greenpeace is calling on the Government to resist industry pressure, reject Rosebank, strengthen the windfall tax on fossil fuel profits and champion a global profit tax on international oil companies.

Paul Morozzo, senior climate campaigner with Greenpeace UK, said:

“These oil giants are about to cash in a huge windfall from Trump’s illegal war, yet the industry is shamelessly lobbying for tax cuts. While UK households face eye-watering energy bills, fossil fuel producers are in line for a multi-billion-pound war windfall they’ve done nothing to earn. Shell and Equinor are pressuring the government to open up a major new oilfield in the North Sea – they keep making huge profits while UK households are held hostage to volatile fossil fuel markets.”

“The government must not cave in to industry lobbying but should tax every penny of these war profits. This crisis shows why we need to ramp up efforts to wean ourselves off fossil fuels by doubling down on renewables. More wind and solar can cut the UK’s reliance on gas imports much faster than issuing new North Sea licences. Renewables are our best insurance policy against the fallout from Trump and Putin’s wars – we should go all in.” 

ENDS

Contact: Greenpeace UK Press Office – press.uk@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255

Notes for editors:

The Greenpeace analysis looked at the variation in the companies’ share prices based on FT markets data from 28 February to 25 March.

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As the Rosebank oil field was being discussed in Parliament yesterday in an Opposition Day debate[1], Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior III caught up with the PetroJarl Rosebank, the huge oil industry ship heading to the field near the Shetland Islands, as it left Walvis Bay in Namibia after refuelling. Activists from the Warrior in RHIBs (rigid hulled inflatable boats) and kayaks protested the Rosebank’s plans for the second time in five days. 

Four activists from the Warrior managed to reach the PetroJarl Rosebank in a RHIB and paint ‘THEY PROFIT, WE PAY’ down the side of the hull.

Six more activists in kayaks and RHIBs surrounded the Rosebank with banners protesting their plans, reading ‘OIL WAR PROFITEERS’, ‘STOP ROSEBANK’ and ‘SHELL + EQUINOR PROFIT, WE PAY‘, while the Warrior displayed a giant banner hung between its masts reading ‘STOP ROSEBANK’.

Shell, Equinor and Ithaca, the three oil companies behind the project, have seen their combined market value soar by billions of pounds since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.[2] 

Angharad Hopkinson, a campaigner from Greenpeace UK currently aboard the Warrior, said:

“These oil companies think they can carry on ignoring the reality of climate change and profiteering from disastrous oil wars as their industry always has. But their time dominating global politics is coming to an end. We have the technologies needed for real energy security and independence. Renewables are already providing far more of our electricity than fossil fuels and as the economy electrifies the role and influence of companies like Shell and Equinor will continue to shrink. 

“But we’re still paying over the odds for our energy because we still let fossil fuels set our prices. To protect bill payers, as well as the climate, we need to quit our oil and gas addiction as quickly as possible. The government must stick to their guns on Rosebank and refuse to allow these climate vandals to bounce them into making a big, dirty and very expensive mistake.”

The PetroJarl Rosebank is a 95,000-tonne ‘floating production, storage and offloading’ (FPSO) vessel operated by Adura, a Shell and Equinor joint venture based in Aberdeen. The ship was renamed the ‘PetroJarl Rosebank’ and reflagged to the UK in January while being refitted in Dubai, having previously been the ‘PetroJarl Knarr’ and flagged to the Bahamas. It is being towed to UK waters by large ocean-going tugs. All this activity has taken place despite the Rosebank oilfield not having final permission to operate from the UK government.

The oil and gas resources in the North Sea have been thoroughly explored and around 90% of them have already been extracted and used[3]. What remains is difficult and expensive to extract. But the UK can replace dwindling North Sea fossil fuel supplies with renewable energy more quickly and cheaply than with new drilling licenses. By 2030 the renewable sources commissioned in the last auction round alone should be supplying nearly six times more energy than the extra domestic gas production in 2030 if new licences are issued for North Sea drilling.[4]   

Equinor had to submit a revised Environmental Impact Assessment for Rosebank including carbon emissions from burning the field’s oil (scope 3 emissions) after the permission given by the last government was judged unlawful in a 2025 court case brought by Greenpeace and Uplift. The estimated scope 3 emissions of the field are 249 million tonnes of CO2e – more than the combined annual emissions of Ireland, Belgium and Greece.

Ed Miliband, Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, described the last government’s decision to give permission to drill in the Rosebank field as ‘colossal waste of taxpayer money and climate vandalism’[5]. This chimes with the views of the UK public where, according to polling from YouGov, 54% of UK voters think that increasing renewables is the best way to ensure energy security, while only 25% think it is drilling for new oil and gas.[6]

Pictures, video footage, drone and phone footage of the protest are all available here.

Spokespeople are available for interview.

ENDS

Contact

Please call 07801 212 960 for queries or interviews.

Greenpeace UK Press Office – press.uk@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255

Pictures, video footage, drone and phone footage of the protest are all available here.

Notes

1. MPs voted against a Conservative opposition day motion to end the UK Government’s ban on new oil and gas licences for the North Sea, end the windfall tax on energy giants and approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields by 297 to 108 votes. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/mps-vote-against-tory-motion-on-new-north-sea-oil-and-gas-projects-6220509 
2. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/15/oil-company-shares-soar-to-all-time-highs-as-middle-east-war-turbocharges-price-per-barrel https://www.ft.com/content/e37bed88-adfa-472d-a86b-2167dc7ca705 
3. https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/around-90-of-uk-north-sea-oil-and-gas-already-drained-dry-analysis 
4. https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-why-clean-energy-will-cut-uk-gas-imports-by-more-than-north-sea-drilling/ 
5. https://x.com/Ed_Miliband/status/1639587552553213953?s=20 
6. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kHctDrTv4-331OsTlWGadZO50W3YIlUf4kbUQhhfPCE/edit?slide=id.g3cc67ac0edb_0_171#slide=id.g3cc67ac0edb_0_171  

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The talks are expected to have a crucial impact on the power of destructive industrial fishing activity on the high seas, which campaigners say could have “catastrophic” consequences.[1]

Megan Randles, head of Greenpeace’s delegation to the talks, said:

“The fishing industry has been lobbying to weaken the Ocean Treaty for years. We need governments to curb corporate influence now, stop kowtowing to industry pressure, and stop the process from being tied up in delays. If they don’t, the result will be catastrophic for ocean protection. 

“The organisations that manage fishing in the high seas have always protected industry interests, that’s why we’re calling for a limit on how much influence they would have on sanctuary proposals, which are urgently needed for the ocean to recover. Governments must not allow the fishing industry’s influence to hold the Treaty process to ransom.”

Fully protected sanctuaries would cordon off huge areas of the ocean from destructive human activity, but it’s something that the fishing industry has been lobbying against for years. 

Greenpeace is calling on governments to curb the influence of fishing industry lobbying before it’s too late, and ensure that fully protected high seas sanctuaries can be created without delay. Governments must therefore impose a maximum 120 day time limit for the review of sanctuary proposals, this would prevent the organisations that control high seas fishing, and fishing industry interests, from stalling the process. These Regional Fishing Management Organisations (RFMOs) have always protected the interests of the fishing industry, overseen the decimation of biodiversity and destruction of entire ecosystems, and therefore must not be allowed to tie up ocean protection in delays.[2]  

Governments have committed to protecting 30% of the ocean in the next four years, a target that scientists say is the absolute minimum required for the ocean to bounce back from decades of destruction. Making sure that the process of creating sanctuaries isn’t tied up in delays will be vital to this progress. 

It is in the best interest of the fishing industry that RFMOs retain their power over the high seas. That’s why during the Ocean Treaty negotiations, they lobbied governments hard to ensure that the Treaty wouldn’t undermine RFMO power. They even tried and failed to remove fishing activity from the scope of the Global Ocean Treaty altogether. This would have been a disaster for ocean protection.

ENDS 

Notes: 

1. The next round of Ocean Treaty talks, the Third Preparatory Commission (Prepcom 3), will begin at the United Nations in New York on 23 March. They are extremely important as key recommendations will be made on how the first Ocean COP (expected some time before January 2027) can deliver the protection needed to allow the ocean to recover from decades of destruction.
2. Out of an assessment of 48 high seas fish stocks we know to be in the high seas 75% were considered depleted or overfished in 2016. 
3. The fishing industry has been actively lobbying against ocean protection measures and to protect its profit margins for decades. Last year, InfluenceMap found that nearly all major seafood companies lobby against ocean protection. Twenty-nine of the 30 biggest seafood firms analysed were pushing policies that clash with global biodiversity goals. Behind the scenes, the same players were working to block the creation or expansion of ocean sanctuaries. 
4. A full media briefing is available.

Contact:

Florri Burton, Global Media Lead, Oceans Are Life, Greenpeace Nordic

 +447896523839, florri.burton@greenpeace.org 
Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

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The report, Beyond Extraction, shows that public transportation, improved recycling programmes, and advanced battery technologies are the real critical solutions for a green transition. It concludes that limiting global warming to no more than 1.5°C does not require sacrificing the deep sea or critical ecosystems on land. Governments should focus on reducing demand for raw materials, finding smarter ways to make things, and deploying clean energy rather than opening the deep sea to industrial exploitation.

Greenpeace International deep sea mining campaigner Ruth Ramos said: “Lines have been crossed on the land that need never be crossed in the deep ocean. Now we know: not only does deep sea mining run against science, ethics, people and the planet, it’s not even needed for a renewable transition. What is needed is for the nations of the world to unite against rogue actors like The Metals Company and Donald Trump and their affronts to international law and cooperation, and instead keep moving towards a global moratorium on deep sea mining. Imagine if humans could have protected the world from the harms of the fossil fuel industry before it even started – that is the opportunity when it comes to deep sea mining: it is a historic privilege, and one we must now embrace wholeheartedly.”

For years, the mining lobby has argued that the green transition is impossible without extracting cobalt, nickel, and manganese from the seafloor. This study finds that: 

• Ambitious recycling could reduce the total demand for the nine key transition minerals by up to 45% by 2050. Recycling can reduce primary nickel demand by up to 48%
• A combination of factors including shifting from private car ownership to more public transport, smaller, more efficient EVs, and different battery choices, can reduce cumulative mineral demand by 23%
• The rise of advanced battery technology such as lithium iron phosphate batteries (which do not contain nickel or cobalt) can significantly reduce the demand for certain minerals

Elsa Lee, head of biodiversity at Greenpeace International, said: “We cannot build a green future on a foundation of neocolonialism. Tech and mining giants are using the ‘fossil fuel playbook’ to spark a global resource scramble that threatens Indigenous lands and vital ecosystems. But we don’t need ecocide to power a green revolution; we need a transition that respects both people and the planet. Mining magnates claim that destroying biodiversity is the price of progress, but we refuse to repeat the extractive mistakes of the past. A truly just energy transition must respect Indigenous rights and protect the wonders of our deep ocean, not sacrifice them for profit”.

As part of the report, potential mineral reserves were compared with areas on land and in the global ocean that – due to their exceptional environmental, ecological, and social importance – must be off-limits to mining. These include, amongst others, peatlands, mangroves, intact forest landscapes, protected areas on land, small islands and uncontacted, or voluntary isolation, tribal territory. The analysis finds that there is no need to mine these off-limits areas for an ambitious energy transition.

The report calls on global governments to:

1. Acknowledge that the “mineral gap” must be addressed through responsible political leadership and innovation
2. Support the market scaling of alternative battery chemistries that bypass conflict or deep sea minerals
3. Implement Extended Producer Responsibility to ensure 100% of minerals in old batteries re-enter the supply chain

A global moratorium on deep sea mining is the most responsible precautionary approach to address science gaps, protect the global ocean and uphold international law. More than 40 states, including the UK, now support a moratorium on deep sea mining, along with 950 scientists.

Greenpeace UK has launched a judicial review against the UK government which publicly backs a moratorium. It argues that the Business Secretary’s approval of the transfer of two major deep-sea exploration licences in the Pacific from UK Seabed Resources Ltd (UKSRL) to a new mining company, Glomar Minerals, may breach international and domestic law. It has filed its claim in the High Court of Justice. 

The report contradicts the UK government’s main argument for continuing to sponsor deep sea exploration licences: that it has the “potential to contribute to the global demand for critical minerals to support the energy transition to net zero”. 

Erica Finnie, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK said: “The UK government is talking out of both sides of its mouth – claiming to be an ocean champion while quietly handing the keys to the seabed to private profiteers. This legal warning is a wake-up call: you cannot solve the climate crisis by destroying the very ocean ecosystems that help stabilise it. If the government is serious about protecting our oceans, it must stop the greenwashing, stop propping up the mining industry, and speak up in favour of a global moratorium on deep sea mining on the global stage”.

ENDS

Note to Editors: 

A concise briefing document is available here. 

Photos are available in the Greenpeace Media Library

1. The full report (available on request) includes detailed data on nine key minerals: cobalt, copper, dysprosium, graphite, lithium, manganese, neodymium, nickel, and vanadium.
2. Greenpeace continues to highlight that the current state of ocean science and the high environmental risks mean that no ‘mining code’ could make deep sea mining compatible with protecting the marine environment.
3. A press release about Greenpeace UK’s legal challenge is available here.

The post New study: Deep sea mining “not even needed” for green energy transition appeared first on Greenpeace UK.

“Right now, there are dozens of tankers carrying billions of litres of oil trapped in the Persian Gulf as mines are being laid and missiles are hitting ships. This is an environmental disaster waiting to happen. A single oil spill in the Gulf could damage this fragile marine habitat beyond repair with devastating consequences for people, animals, and plants in the region, adding to the terrible human toll this illegal war has already taken on local communities.

“The US-Israel attack on Iran and subsequent strikes by Iran on neighbouring Gulf countries has shown once again that our dependence on fossil fuels is a constant threat to peace, security and prosperity. When oil and gas prices surge, fossil fuel giants rake in more profits while everyday people are hit by higher costs for heating, electricity, transport and food. 

“Greenpeace is calling on all parties to de-escalate tensions and pursue peaceful, diplomatic solutions and on governments everywhere to urgently shift away from fossil fuels towards distributed renewable energy systems where the risks of conflict are reduced rather than amplified.

“From Venezuela to Iran, we’ve seen how Trump’s stated desire to control resources – especially oil and gas – is playing out in violent foreign policy. In Trump’s illegal war with Iran, the only winners are the oil and gas companies.”

An investigation by Greenpeace Germany has analysed the blocked Strait of Hormuz using ship movement data and satellite imagery and simulated the potential consequences of oil spills in the Persian Gulf if tankers are damaged. At present, the oil tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf are carrying at least 21 billion litres of oil.

“Greenpeace simulations show how an oil slick could spread if the stranded tankers are damaged in an attack. The Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters are home to pristine coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows. This is an ecological ticking time bomb and represents an enormous risk that further increases instability and human suffering in the region.” 

ENDS

Satellite images available in the Greenpeace Media Library. Link to interactive map 

Notes: 

[1] Greenpeace Germany is tracking larger oil tankers above 80.000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) and 100 metres length. Interactive map and accompanying article: How oil tankers stuck in the Strait of Hormuz south of Iran threatens the Gulf ecosystem

[2] You can’t blow up the sun: 4 reasons renewables are a security imperative

[3] In Trump’s illegal war with Iran, the only winners are the oil and gas companies 

Contact: 

Nina Noelle, crisis communications and international relations manager, Greenpeace Germany, +49 151 10622733, nina.noelle@greenpeace.org

Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

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Louisa Casson, Campaigner, Greenpeace International said: “In July, governments at the ISA sent a clear message: rogue companies trying to sidestep international law will face consequences. Turning that promise into action at this meeting is far more important than rushing through a Mining Code designed to appease corporate interests rather than protect the common good. As delegations from around the world gather today, they must unite and confront the US and TMC’s neo-colonial resource grab and make clear that deep sea mining is a reckless gamble humanity cannot afford.”

The ISA launched an inquiry at its last Council meeting in July 2025, in response to TMC USA seeking unilateral deep sea mining licences from the Trump administration. If the US administration unilaterally allows mining the international seabed, it would be considered in violation of international law. 

Greenpeace International has compiled and submitted evidence to the ISA Secretary-General, Leticia Carvalho, to support the ongoing inquiry into deep sea mining contractors. This evidence shows that those supporting these unprecedented rogue efforts to start deep sea mining unilaterally via President Trump could be in breach of their obligations with the ISA.  

The analysis focuses on TMC’s subsidiaries — Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI) and Tonga Offshore Mining Ltd (TOML) — as well as Blue Minerals Jamaica (BMJ), a company linked to Dutch-Swiss offshore engineering firm Allseas, one of TMC’s subcontractors and largest shareholders. The information compiled indicates that their activities may violate core contractual obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). [3] If these breaches are confirmed, NORI and TOML’s exploration contracts, which expire in July 2026 and January 2027 respectively, the ISA should take action, including considering not renewing the contract.

Greenpeace International analysis found that: 

 – Following TMC USA’s application to mine the international seabed unilaterally, NORI and TOML have amended their agreements to provide payments to Nauru and Tonga, respectively, if US-authorised commercial mining goes ahead. This sets up their participation in a financial mechanism predicated on mining in contradiction to UNCLOS.

 – NORI and TOML have signed intercompany intellectual property and data-sharing agreements with TMC USA, and the data obtained by NORI and TOML under the ISA exploration contracts has been key to facilitating TMC USA’s application under US national regulations. 

 – Just a few individuals hold key decision-making roles across the TMC and all relevant subsidiaries, making claims of independent management ungrounded. NORI, TOML, and TMC USA, while legally distinct, are managed as an integrated corporate group with a single, coordinated strategy under the direct control and strategic direction of TMC.

Letícia Carvalho has recently publicly advocated for governments to finalise a streamlined deep sea mining code this year and has expressed her own concerns with the calls from 40 governments for a moratorium.[4] At a time when rogue actors are attempting to bypass or weaken the international system, Greenpeace believes that establishing rules and regulations that will allow mining to start is falling into the trap of international bullies. A Mining Code would legitimise and drive investment into a flagging industry, supporting rogue actor companies like TMC and weakening deterrence against unilateral mining outside the ISA framework.

Casson added: “Rushing to finalise a Mining Code serves the interests of multinational corporations, not the principles of multilateralism. With what we know now rules to mine the deep sea cannot coexist with ocean protection. Governments are legally obliged to only authorise deep sea mining if it can demonstrably benefit humanity – and that is non-negotiable. As the long list of scientific, environmental and social concerns with this industry keeps growing, what is needed is a clear political signal that the world will not be intimidated into rushing a mining code by unilateral threats and will instead keep moving towards a moratorium on deep sea mining.” 

ENDS

Photos are available in the Greenpeace Media Library 

Notes:

[1] The 31st Session of the International Seabed Authority https://isa.org.jm/sessions/31st-session-2026

[2] Greenpeace briefing (March 2026). Inquiry On Potential Breaches By ISA Contractors https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-international-stateless/2026/03/40094db7-isa_contractors_greenpeace_international.pdf

[3] The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf 

[4] Deep Sea Conservation Coalition: countries against deep sea mining https://deep-sea-conservation.org/solutions/no-deep-sea-mining/momentum-for-a-moratorium/

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Last year, Greenpeace exposed the high option and leasing fees the Crown Estate is charging offshore wind farm developers[1], which slow down development and ultimately drive up energy bills. Greenpeace maintains that the Crown Estate Commissioners are required by the Crown Estate Act 1961 to exclude any element of monopoly value attributable to the Crown’s ownership of land when leasing the seabed for wind power. 

The Crown Estate denied that the Act imposed this requirement, but this runs counter to comments made in 2010 to the Treasury Select Committee by the previous Crown Estate Chief Executive, Roger Bright, who described the approach the Crown Estate was taking to determining monopoly value when setting rents for the seabed.

In a letter before action, Greenpeace requested documents from the Crown Estate under the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), covering monopoly value, how the Crown Estate calculated it, and how they excluded this value from seabed leases. The Crown Estate refused, claiming that the request was too broad, covering too many documents, and fulfilling it would be too onerous, even though it was confined to documents relating to monopoly value assessment. Greenpeace replied with an even narrower request, and a comment that if documents existed, they must be known without the need for extensive searches. However, the Crown Estate sent an almost identical ‘computer says no’ refusal, citing the same grounds. 

After exhausting the Crown Estate’s EIR process, Greenpeace has complained to the ICO to secure the release of the relevant documents, if they exist. 

If they don’t exist, this would also be significant, as it would show the Crown Estate is not properly considering whether it is overcharging developers. 

Lily-Rose Ellis, climate campaigner for Greenpeace UK, said:

“The Crown Estate’s option fees are effectively a stealth tax added to people’s energy bills, during  the cost of living crisis. Abusing their monopoly position to set fees way above what a free market would support is not only counter to the 1961 Crown Estate Act, but counter to the interests of anyone who pays an electricity bill, counter to the interests of British industry, and counter to the interests of everyone who depends on a stable climate.”

The ICO will respond to the complaint, and can order the Crown Estate to disclose the information sought[2].

ENDS

Notes

1. https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/crown-estates-monopoly-profiteering-hampering-offshore-wind-and-pushing-up-bills-greenpeace/ 
2. https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/foi-and-eir-complaints/what-to-expect-from-the-ico-when-making-an-foi-or-eir-complaint/after-you-complain/ 

Contact Greenpeace UK Press Office – press.uk@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255

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Today, the UK’s wholesale gas price has hit a three-year high, after soaring by 93% since last week, raising the prospect of a sharp increase in energy bills.

Greenpeace has been calling for energy system reforms that would remove gas plants from the wholesale electricity market and place them into a strategic reserve[1]. This would stop expensive gas from setting electricity prices, protect UK bill payers from gas price volatility and significantly lower bills.

Greenpeace UK Head of Climate Mel Evans said:

“We’re back on the global gas price rollercoaster, and everyone’s feeling sick already. The latest conflict in the Middle East has exposed once again how much of a liability our dependence on gas is. In the UK, gas sets the price of electricity 85% of the time, and the price of gas, including North Sea gas, is set by the market. When we could be looking forward to rapidly increasing solar and wind power on the grid saving us money, instead we face the prospect of energy bills going up again thanks to our rigged pricing system. Ministers should take control of our energy bills by removing gas-fired power stations from the pricing mechanism and bringing them into a strategic reserve. This would stop gas from dominating our bills and protect households and businesses from more gas price shocks.”

ENDS

Notes

1. https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/resources/power-shift-report/ 

Contact

Greenpeace UK Press Office – press.uk@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255

The post Ministers urged to free electricity bills from spiralling gas prices  appeared first on Greenpeace UK.