Google, BMW, Volvo and Samsung have signed up to a temporary ban on deep sea mining following discussions with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).

The four companies have agreed not to source any minerals from the seabed or use them in their products or supply chains and also say they won't fund deep sea mining activities.

Deep sea mining companies want to extract cobalt, copper, nickel and manganese – key materials commonly used to make batteries – which can be found on the seabed at depths of 4km to 6km.

The WWF and other conservation groups say those materials can be found on dry land and from recycled goods and say the practice could destroy ocean ecosystems and entire habitats.

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A statement from the WWF on Wednesday said: "With much of the deep sea ecosystem yet to be explored and understood, such activity would be recklessly short-sighted."

BMW said raw materials from deep-sea mining are "not an option" for the company at present because there are insufficient scientific findings to be able to assess the environmental risks. 

Google and Volvo did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment, but South Korea's Samsung SDI said it was the first battery maker to participate in the WWF's initiative.

However, deep-sea mining companies are pushing ahead with their plans to gain licenses to explore the ocean floor in the hope of extracting and selling the minerals they find to car makers and battery companies.

Norway has said it could license companies for deep-sea mining as early as 2023, potentially placing it among the first countries to harvest seabed metals.

Jessica Battle, the leader of the WWF's No Deep Seabed Mining Initiative, says stripping the seabed of its natural resources is a short-sighted move that could have serious repercussions.

She told CGTN: "Deep-sea mining would stir up huge plumes of sediment and would scrape away the entire area where animals live. There are no plants down there because of the darkness, but there are many unknown animals and bacteria.

"So, we risk losing species that we don't know anything about, but we also reduce our opportunities for discoveries, for example new medicines such as a new vaccine or a new medical product for treating cancer or another disease."