Samsung SDI Halts Deep-Sea Mineral Mining... Accelerates ESG Management

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Samsung SDI is participating in the "Deep Seabed Mineral Mining Prevention Initiative" to respond to overdevelopment that could potentially impact the deep-sea environment.

On the 31st, Samsung SDI released a statement supporting a global moratorium on deep seabed mining (DSM) alongside global companies such as BMW, Volvo, and Google.

This commitment promises not to extract minerals from the deep seabed nor use resources supplied through DSM. Samsung SDI is the only company in the battery industry participating in this initiative. A representative from the international environmental organization WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), which advocates for this initiative, welcomed the participating companies and stated, "Deep seabed mining is an environmental disaster that can be prevented."

With recent growing interest in the electric vehicle market and increasing battery demand, the demand for key minerals such as cobalt and lithium has surged, raising interest in the potential use of mineral resources beyond land to the deep sea. Mining minerals from ocean depths of thousands of meters is expected to have a destructive impact on the fragile deep-sea ecosystem and biodiversity.

Samsung SDI, along with BMW, Volvo, and Google, opposes commercial deep seabed mineral mining until the harmful effects and impacts of DSM on the deep-sea ecosystem have been sufficiently reviewed and safety is proven.

A Samsung SDI official said, "We positively evaluate being the first and only company in the battery industry to participate in the deep seabed mineral mining prevention initiative," adding, "We will continue to take an active interest and participate to practically implement ESG management through responsible mineral mining and supply methods."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.