BRITAIN has backed a deep-sea mining moratorium until there is sufficient regulation and scientific evidence of its impacts, the government said yesterday.

It joins more than 20 other countries but is not backing a full ban, as environmental groups are calling for.

The government said it will provide scientific expertise to investigate the effects of extraction on wildlife and ecosystems.

Hundreds of scientists have spoken out against its destructive potential and companies such as BMW, Google, Samsung, Volkswagen and Volvo have said they will exclude minerals from deep-sea mining from their supply chains.

Greenpeace oceans campaigner Fiona Nicholls said: “Within just a few years, Britain has gone from proudly sponsoring deep-sea mining licences to backing a moratorium on them, showing that people-powered campaigns can win the argument against corporate exploitation.

“But if Rishi Sunak wants to maintain [credibility], he needs to work with other governments to agree a full ban, announce concrete plans to ratify the historic Global Ocean Treaty in the King’s Speech, and completely rethink his stance on fossil fuel expansion.

“The climate crisis is one of the biggest threats to marine life, and more oil and gas drilling will only make it worse.”