Greenpeace report on shipwreck seeks to fix liability on MSC

The Greenpeace South Asia on Thursday (November 13, 2025) released its new investigative report on the sinking of MSC ELSA 3 along the coast off 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 repeatedly 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 the Kerala High Court’s order directing it to pay ₹1,227 crore as a compensation security deposit, over 8,000 petitions and postcard signatures are being delivered to the MSC headquarters by a team of volunteers.

The report says that the MSC became the world’s largest container carrier by deploying ageing, second-hand vessels to South Asian routes under flags of convenience, reducing costs and limiting incident liability, as part of a double standard pattern that has repeatedly shifted the burden of environmental risk onto developing nations. Besides, the report notes that despite commitments to sustainable recycling, 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.

Recently, 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, especially given MSC’s recent record of negligence and ecological harm in South Asian waters.

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 act urgently to ensure that compensation can reach affected communities as soon as possible, through a transparent and inclusive mechanism.

Impacted communities have already raised concerns about being left out of the formal claim processes due to lack of documentation. “In the light of efforts by MSC to evade accountability, the State should also create a decentralised, accessible claims system to ensure that no one is left behind,” said Amruta S.N., climate campaigner at Greenpeace India.