Press Release – Norwegian ambassador undermines Norwegian law
Bellona and the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, along with several stakeholders within Norway's recycling and waste industry, have sent an open letter to the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment. They strongly denounce the statements made by Norway's ambassador to Bangladesh, Espen Rikter-Svendsen, who in several international media outlets has urged Norwegian shipowners to send ships there for scrapping.
In the letter to Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Climate and Environment Minister Anders Bjelland Eriksen, it is emphasised that Norway's ambassador to Bangladesh has encouraged violations of Norwegian and European legislation.
For many years, Bellona and the NGO Shipbreaking Platform have worked to end unethical and environmentally harmful ship scrapping on the beaches of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. The senders of the letter, which include both interest organisations and companies, aim to spotlight Norway's capacity for effective waste management and material recovery. To date, eight Norwegian yards are included in the EU list of approved ship recycling facilities.
The senders of the letter are:
- Miljøstiftelsen Bellona
- NGO Shipbreaking Platform
- Norsk Industri
- Avfall Norge
- Norsk Forening for Farlig Avfall (NFFA)
- NG Group
- Stena Recycling
- Green Yard
- Fosen Gjenvinning
- Norscrap
- AF Offshore Decom
Related news

Platform News – SAVE THE DATE: “With Bare Hands” on 3 October 2019 in Brussels
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform invites you to attend the conference With Bare Hands on Thursday 3 October in Brussels (Belgium).
... Read More
Press Release – Norwegian ship owner sentenced to prison
Last Friday, the Sunnhordland District Court in Norway sentenced ship owner Georg Eide to six months unconditional imprisonment.
... Read More
Platform News – Platform’s member organisation LIFE wins 2021 Right Livelihood Award
Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE) has been awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize
... Read More
Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #18
There were a total of 181 ships broken in the first quarter of 2019. Of these, 142 ships were sold to the beaches of South Asia where… Read More
Press Release – Recent fires at Gadani yards prompt authorities to shut down all shipbreaking activities
On 11 October a tanker caught fire at the Gadani shipbreaking beach that holds a deplorable record of life threatening accidents. Fortunately, no casualties were recorded. Only… Read More
Press Release – Seatrade reaches settlement with Dutch Public Prosecution Service
Dutch ship owner Seatrade has reached a settlement with the Dutch Public Prosecution Service following the illegal export of four ships to India, Bangladesh, and Turkey for… Read More
