Greenpeace urges MSC to comply with Kerala HC order
ENVIRONMENT – POLLUTION
14 NOVEMBER 2025
- The Greenpeace South Asia on Thursday released its new investigative report on the sinking of MSC Elsa 3 along the coast of Kerala.
- The report exposes how MSC, the world’s largest container carrier company, has systematically expanded its operations using ageing vessels and exploiting regulatory loopholes and flag-of-convenience practices that have caused environmental disasters in South Asia.
- The report titled ‘Below Deck: The Truth Beneath What You Sea (Mediterranean Shipping Company — MSC)’ throws light on a corporate model that limits incident liability and externalises environmental and social costs onto weaker jurisdictions in the Global South.
- Urging the MSC to comply with a Kerala High Court’s order directing it to pay ₹1,227 crore as compensation, over 8,000 petitions and postcard signatures are being delivered to the MSC headquarters by volunteers.
- The report notes that despite commitments to sustainable recycling, the MSC continues to systematically dispose of ageing ships in South Asian beaching yards, notably in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, where conditions are notoriously hazardous for both workers and the environment.
- Environmental norms
- The MSC announced plans to reflag 12 vessels under the Indian registry followed by discussions between MSC CEO Søren Toft and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during India Maritime Week 2025.
- However, the report says such expansion should come with strict compliance with environmental and safety norms.
- The MSC Elsa 3, a Liberia-flagged vessel with a known history of safety deficiencies, sank off the Kerala coast in May 2025, spilling oil, chemicals, and massive amounts of plastic nurdles that devastated marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods.
- The Greenpeace emphasised that the company should promptly comply with the High Court order and the Kerala government should ensure that compensation can reach affected communities as soon as possible, through a transparent mechanism.