Dutch Authorities Crack Down on Greenwashing in the Cruise Industry

The Dutch advertising board recently ruled against MSC Cruises for making sustainability claims that do not meet standards, marking one of the first decisions against a cruise operator for greenwashing. Despite MSC’s goal of achieving “net zero by 2050,” the board found their claims to be misleading. MSC responded by stating that they have already implemented most of the recommended changes and welcomed some aspects of the decision. Greenwashing involves companies giving a false impression of their environmental efforts, and the findings by the Stichting Reclame Code (SRC) do not come with any penalties, only a recommendation to avoid repeating the claims.

Environmental groups, led by Fossil Free Netherlands, filed the complaint against MSC, criticizing slogans like “#SavetheSea” and “sailing to the future in a responsible way” for potentially misleading consumers about the company’s environmental impact. The focus of the decision was on MSC’s promotion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a cleaner fuel option for their ships. While LNG may emit less carbon dioxide than traditional fuels, the board found that MSC had not fully considered its broader environmental impact and criticized the company for labeling it as “one of the cleanest” fuels.

Despite the ruling, MSC stated that the decision did not invalidate all the ads in question and confirmed their commitment to using LNG as a transitional fuel. The company emphasized their environmental strategy, which includes the eventual transition to renewable fuels. The SRC also deemed MSC’s target of achieving zero emissions by 2050 as too speculative and unlikely to be realized. Fossil Free Netherlands, which previously won a lawsuit against airline KLM for similar reasons, viewed the SRC decision as another significant milestone in their efforts to combat greenwashing in the industry.

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