MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company sustainability score: 23/100
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is a privately held Swiss container and general cargo shipping conglomerate, part of the MSC Group. Headquartered in Geneva, it operates one of the world's largest container fleets, along with terminals, inland logistics, and air freight services.
More about MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company
As a family-owned firm, MSC publishes no revenue but reports ~120,098 employees across its Cargo Division.
Head office Geneva, SwitzerlandStaff ~120,098 (2025)Website ↗
MSC's emissions are rising sharply across Scope 1 and 3 despite efficiency investments. The May 2025 sinking of the MSC ELSA 3 off Kerala released oil, chemicals and plastic; Kerala is claiming about $1.1bn, and liability is not yet settled. It has no SBTi target, its net-zero goal covers fleet Scope 1 only, and 0.5% of its energy is renewable.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company scores 23/100 (Significant gaps) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Companies can never pay for anything about their own score. Last verified October 2026.
That places MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company joint 849th of 934 companies scored, and joint 15th of 18 in Shipping / Logistics.
What is MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (8/10, 6/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Energy Source (0/10, 3/10).
Where MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
- Emissions from its own operations8/10No verified figures published with their method and a falling trend.
- Emissions from its supply chain6/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling0/10No evidence its emissions are falling, not even from energy bills or mileage.
- How clean its energy is3/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature4/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste4/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water3/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets4/10Its targets aren't science-based or committed to the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies3/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleHas MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company's score changed?
MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company's score has moved from 22 to 23 across 2 recorded reviews, up 1 point.
- 22 → 23+130 October 2026
Re-scored under the current method (v2.5). Q10: the rubric's documented-environmental-damage row applied at its lowest point (5) for the ELSA 3 sinking and spill; the pending court order drives no deduction (owner ruling 2026-10-29).
- Scored 224 April 2026
Initial score at platform launch
What evidence is MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company's score based on?
12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
8% of them were published by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company itself; the rest come from independent sources.
11 of 12 sources are independent of the company.
“49,751,420 43,956,664 13%”
“MSC, the world's largest shipping company, was the continent's biggest carbon emitter.”
“MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co > Container 61,031 nm 94.8% A”
“an estimated 450 to 500 tonnes of nurdles have been collected from the shoreline”
“directed Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to deposit ₹1,200.62 crore as compensation for the environmental and economic losses”
“The incident had resulted in leaking fuel and releasing cargo”
“causing a fuel and chemical spill that led to serious environmental damage”
“permitted the State-appointed committee of government officers to resume negotiations with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC)”
“failed to operate on compliant fuel upon entry into Regulated California Waters in 2022”
“MSC is arguing that the state provided no evidence to support its claims”
“have declared that their financial responsibility for the May 25 shipwreck off the Kerala coast is limited to ₹132 crore”
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How does MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company compare with other shipping / logistics companies?
Where MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company sits among shipping / logistics peers.
Among the 18 major shipping / logistics brands we've scored, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company is tied =15th of 18, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in Shipping / Logistics?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
Maersk's absolute emissions rose 2% to 85.4 Mt CO2e in 2025 despite SBTi-validated targets.
See the breakdown →USPS discloses emissions across Scopes 1–3 with multi-year data, but lacks third-party verification and split Scope accounting.
See the breakdown →Royal Caribbean operates the world's largest cruise ships with rising absolute emissions despite intensity improvements.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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