Civil society groups urge Glencore to reconsider links to deep-sea mining

The Deep Sea Mining Campaign has coordinated a joint letter signed by 46 civil society organisations from around the world, raising serious concerns about The Metals Company (TMC) and its application for a U.S. licence to mine seabed minerals in international waters.

The letter highlights the environmental, legal, and reputational risks associated with any continued commercial relationship with TMC, including existing or prospective offtake agreements.

Why this matters

TMC’s move represents a significant escalation in its attempts to bypass growing international scrutiny and opposition to deep-sea mining. This comes amid:

• mounting scientific evidence that deep sea mining would cause irreversible harm to ocean ecosystems,
• unresolved legal questions around jurisdiction, liability, and regulatory oversight, and
• increasing resistance from Indigenous Peoples, Pacific communities, scientists, and civil society worldwide.

The joint letter reflects continued concern that association with deep sea mining exposes downstream partners to material ESG, legal, and reputational risk.

A growing global signal

The diversity of organisations signing the letter spanning environmental NGOs, faith-based groups, community organisations, and advocacy networks across multiple regions — underscores that opposition to deep sea mining is broad-based and accelerating.

We want to reinforce a clear message: companies across the production chain must distance themselves from deep sea mining projects and instead support genuinely responsible pathways in mineral supply chains.

Read the full joint letter here:
Letter to Glencore – 6 January 2026 (PDF)