Nordea Joins Initiative for Responsible Ship Recycling

Nordea’s Shipping, Offshore & Oil Services unit has decided to join ABN AMRO, DNB, Export Credit Norway, ING and NIBC in endorsing the Responsible Ship Recycling Standards (RSRS) for ship financing. There is a clear momentum in the Group for sustainable finance and this is another step towards sustainable financing.

The recycling, or scrapping, of a ship at the end of its lifecycle poses potential large social and environmental risks for the shipping industry, especially if so-called beaching practices are used. These practices mean that ships are driven directly upon beaches and dismantled under difficult working conditions and with detrimental environmental consequences as hazardous waste is discharged directly into the sea.

The RSRS are voluntary industry principles that promote responsible ship recycling and aims to minimise the dangers associated with hazardous materials on board. The standards form guiding principles in the dialogue about responsible ship recycling between the financial sector and stakeholders in international shipping.

Nordea joins the banks participating in the RSRS to increase awareness of the environmental and social risks associated with recycling of ships and promote the standards for the sustainable recycling of ships.

Hans Christian Kjelsrud, head of Shipping, Offshore & Oil Services, says: - Nordea is committed to responsible business and sustainable financing and I’m pleased to join other leading banks in this initiative to promote responsible ship recycling standards and to contribute to raised awareness within the industry.