Dutch Crack Down on Cruise Industry Greenwashing

By Cagan Koc (Bloomberg) MSC Cruises was told to drop some green claims in its advertisements in the Netherlands after Dutch environmental campaigners complained that its ads amount to greenwashing.

MSC Cruises should no longer make claims that it “is making great strides to be net zero by 2050” or that liquefied natural gas is a clean shipping fuel, according to a Sept. 30 verdict by the Dutch Advertising Code Committee. The unit of the shipping giant MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company SA is also restricted from saying passengers can “cruise responsibly or green with” the company.

The case was triggered by three Dutch action groups Fossielvrij NL, Advocates for the Future and Reclamejagers. Some of their complaints such as a request to restrict cruise ads in general were dismissed by the Dutch advertising body.

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises said the company has already implemented most of the changes advised.

European regulators are taking a much tougher stance on suspected cases of greenwashing in a wide range of industries. Last year, the UK’s advertising regulator took more than 20 enforcement actions against greenwashing and targeted airlines, banks and automakers.

Earlier this year, an Amsterdam court ruled that Dutch airline KLM misled customers through advertisements that suggested its flights are climate friendly.

Cruise operators have been replacing oil-based fuel with LNG and touting the shift as a greener way to travel. An investigation by environmental activists suggested the change could be worse for the climate in the short term.

Also read: The Invisible Climate Impact of a Cruise Ship