President Donald Trump is laser-focused on securing high-value critical minerals for the United States, whether through pushing to buy Greenland or demanding a share of Ukraine's resources. But there's another — and possibly far more dangerous — place where he now seeks them: the ocean depths.
Thousands of feet underwater lie potentially lucrative treasure troves of copper, cobalt, nickel, zinc, manganese and other minerals that are vital for computer chips, modern batteries and other products needed for the clean energy transition.
There is currently no commercial deep-sea mining happening anywhere in the world, though companies have been pushing for years. They appear to have found a new champion in Trump. In April, he signed an executive order to kickstart a commercial deep-sea mining industry.
It's hugely controversial.
The deep ocean is one of the planet's last wild frontiers and its least-known environment — more than 99% of it remains a mystery to humans. Scientists warn mining here could cause irreparable damage to species and ecosystems that have evolved over millions of years and host a rich tapestry of life.
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📸 : Tamir Kalifa/The New York Times/Redux
Sustainable construction is entering the mainstream with new models proving that low carbon design and resource efficiency in construction can operate at scale. The 113‑home Zero Bills neighbourhood in Epping Forest integrates energy generation and storage into the fabric of housing, redefining sustainable building design through a decentralised microgrid that removes household energy bills for at least ten years. This approach demonstrates how net zero carbon buildings can merge renewable building materials, circular economy strategies and life cycle thinking in construction into practical delivery.
UKGBC’s latest Trends Report identifies a shift from climate declarations to tangible delivery, with sustainable building practices judged by disclosure and performance metrics including life cycle cost. This data-driven transition aligns with emerging frameworks for BREEAM v7 and net zero whole life carbon assessments, enhancing accountability across investors and developers.
Water management is being reframed as critical infrastructure in sustainable urban development. Integrated sustainable drainage systems are now core to eco-friendly construction, mitigating both drought and flood risk while advancing green infrastructure and whole life carbon optimisation. The move from isolated interventions to systems-based eco-design for buildings is reinforcing resilience within local planning policy.
Government investment through Great British Railways and bus network upgrades is generating a procurement pipeline that can embed carbon neutral construction and sustainable material specification. These programmes present opportunities to demonstrate circular construction strategies, environmental product declarations (EPDs) and low embodied carbon materials in major works.
International collaboration through InnovateUkraine extends UK expertise in environmental sustainability in construction to post-conflict resilience. The £17 million investment will foster modular, low carbon building systems designed for rapid deployment and rebuild, advancing circular economy in construction principles and end-of-life reuse in construction.
Global data from the United Nations reinforces the urgency of decarbonising the built environment. The environmental impact of construction—through embodied carbon, operational emissions and unaccounted waste—carries quantifiable social and economic costs. Zero Bills housing and similar models show how sustainable design, life cycle cost evaluation and whole life carbon consideration can transform the industry from aspiration to accountable delivery.
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