Greenpeace South Asia released its latest investigation report, “Below Deck: The Truth Beneath What You Sea (Mediterranean Shipping Company MSC),” highlighting a corporate model that contains incident liability and externalises environmental and social costs onto weaker jurisdictions in the Global South.

The report details how MSC became the world’s largest container carrier by expanding rapidly while deploying ageing, second-hand vessels to South Asian routes under flags of convenience, thus shifting the burden of risk and cost onto vulnerable coastal nations... The report also echoes Greenpeace’s demand for MSC to comply with the Kerala High Court’s order dated 25th September to deposit ₹1,227 crore Indian rupees as compensation security for the state’s loss and damages [related to the Elsa 3 shipwreck].

... “Sri Lanka’s coastline continues to bear the brunt of regional corporate negligence,” said Anita Rumeshi Perera, Ocean and Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace South Asia. “This is not just about one shipwreck; it’s about a pattern of environmental injustice where powerful companies profit while coastal communities pay the price.”

... The MSC ELSA 3 disaster underscores the urgent need for stronger cross-border maritime accountability mechanisms, transparent reporting, and corporate responsibility in the shipping industry to prevent yet another ecological crisis in South Asian waters.