Norway could become the first nation to make deep sea mining happen on a commercial scale if the country's parliament approves a plan to open ocean an area larger than the United Kingdom to the new industry. The mining could provide a source for such metals as copper and rare earth elements for the transition away from fossil fuels. He did not say whether SV would make support for the government's budget conditional on the issue. Still, Haltbrekken said deep sea mining was "high on our agenda" and "an important issue for us". In 2021, SV blocked the government's plans to conduct oil and gas exploration licensing round in frontier areas.

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Persons: Lars Haltbrekken, Haltbrekken, SV, Victoria Klesty, Nerijus, Gwladys Fouche, Timothy Gardner Organizations: Reuters, NOAA, of Ocean Exploration, REUTERS, Rights, Labour, Centre Party, Socialist Left, SV, Conservative, Progress Party, Thomson Locations: Rights OSLO, Norway, United Kingdom