Deep-sea mining: civil society sounds the alarm on the threat posed to biodiversity equaltimes.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from equaltimes.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Error-ridden deep sea mining licenses may be unlawful, ministers warned greenpeace.org.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from greenpeace.org.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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GDP contracted by 1.5% in Q1 - but grew 2.1% in March
The UK’s locked-down economy shrank by 1.5% in the first quarter of the year, according to figures by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 1.5% in Q1, following a 1.3% growth in Q4 2020.
The quarter did end on a positive note, however, with schools reopening across England and Wales and retail trade sales continuing to show strength. Real GDP is estimated to have grown by 2.1% in March - the fastest monthly growth since August 2020. The construction (5.8%), services (1.9%) and manufacturing (2.1%) sectors all recorded growth in March.
Last modified on Wed 12 May 2021 07.09 EDT
Deep-sea mining exploration licences granted by the British government are âriddled with inaccuraciesâ, and could even be unlawful, according to Greenpeace and Blue Marine Foundation, a conservation charity.
The licences, granted a decade ago to UK Seabed Resources, a subsidiary of the US arms multinational Lockheed Martin, have only recently been disclosed by the company.
In March lawyers for Greenpeace wrote to Kwasi Kwarteng, secretary of state for business and energy, warning of potential legal flaws in the licences. They have not received a response, they say.
The licences, which detail the UKâs responsibilities as a sponsoring state of UK Seabed Resources (UKSR) in its exploration of polymetallic nodules on the Pacific Ocean seabed, appear to have been granted for 15 years, but UK law only permits a maximum initial period of 10 years. This suggests they may be unlawful, the campaigners say.