Harvesting Geothermal Energy in the Area: The Environmental Management of Prospective Geothermal Energy

Abstract

Climate change has grown into the biggest concern of the 21st century. At the heart of the climate change problem is the world’s energy consumption, more precisely the consumption of non-renewable energy. A particular form of energy which is for the past five years increasingly being explored even if not envisaged to taking place in the near future: geothermal energy. To date, only a few pilot projects are currently being implemented but the hot stream coming from the ocean crust and hydrothermal vents situated in the Area is of particular interest in the midst of increasing pressure to develop clean and renewable energy. The purpose of this master thesis is to contribute to a better understanding of key aspects concerning the legal regime applicable to geothermal activities in the Area, more specifically the regime for environmental and sustainable management of this very activity.