We continue to act responsibly in line with the position set out in the communiqué, including through taking a precautionary approach. We commissioned an independent evidence review into the potential risks and benefits of deep sea mining, which was published in October 2022: https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/deep-sea-mining-evidence-review-published/ Through the UK’s sponsorship of academic research and existing exploration licences, over 70 peer-reviewed publications supporting a greater understanding of environmental issues associated with deep-sea mining have already been produced, with more to come. The Government is also part-funding the SMARTEX project on seabed mining and resilience to experimental impact, which aims to build a better understanding of the ecosystem in the Pacific abyss.