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The Clemenceau saga: a small victory in a global battle
Like hundreds of other similar ships nearing the end of their working
lives, The Clemenceau contains a deadly cocktail of toxic materials -
asbestos, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and heavy metals. She was
destined to be dismantled in India's Alang shipbreaking yard under very
poor environmental and working conditions. Every year, dozens of
workers die or are injured in horrific industrial accidents in these
'dumping grounds' of the world. Others suffer from fatal and
debilitating diseases such as cancers, caused by working virtually
unprotected amidst the toxic substances with which the ships are laden.
In France, as in any other developed country, these working conditions
would be outlawed, and those suffering from occupational-related
medical conditions would be compensated. In Alang, those workers who
are dying as a result of these terrible working conditions are not even
registered.
It is a sad reflection of the state of our world that those workers taken on by the ship-breaking yards of India and elsewhere in the developing world are so economically disempowered that they are forced to put their lives at risk to work in such conditions. What is even sadder is that developed nations such as France are prepared to send toxic wrecks across the world to have them dismantled cheaply, knowing the deadly contents of these ships and their likely environmental and human impact.
Throughout the futile last voyage of the Clemenceau, we have kept up the pressure on both French and Indian governments, through dialogue and direct action. Our protestors have boarded the ship and chained themselves to the vessel's mast. In India, our campaigners engaged with ministers, the Supreme Court and unions, and also took to the streets to protest. Were it not for this kind of international pressure, the Clemenceau would still be quietly continuing to the ship-breaking yards of Alang to be disposed of on the cheap.
The decision by the French government to recall the Clemenceau was not a result of a sudden realisation of moral responsibility, or an act of environmental altruism. They were forced to recall the Clemenceau because its export to India is illegal under the Basel convention. Established in 1989 by 177 countries, including France and India, the convention promised to protect the environment and citizens of developing countries by banning the export of hazardous waste to places that are not able to manage them properly. We are not against the division of labour in the global market - industries such as ship-breaking offer a vital income to hundreds of thousands of workers throughout the world. Indeed, dismantling and re-using ships is an example of recycling on a grand scale - it should and must be encouraged.
This case is an example of a problem that the whole world needs to face. There are thousands of ships like the Clemenceau laden with even greater amounts of deadly toxic materials, awaiting break-up. But it is not just a problem for the ship-breaking industry. Hundreds of millions of everyday products - from mobile phones to computers and TVs - containing a huge range of toxic substances, are being dumped in massive quantities on communities who have no other economic choice than to put themselves and their environment at risk by dismantling and recycling them. Every time someone in the developed world throws away a mobile phone, computer or TV they are expecting someone else to clean up the mess, irrespective of the real human and environmental cost - millions of 'mini Clemenceaus' are happening every day.
All manufacturing industries - from ship-building to electronics and consumer goods - must now be held responsible for removing the toxins in their products. They cannot be allowed to dodge their moral and environmental responsibility to put profit first and simply allowing their toxic waste to be dumped on the cheap refuse sites of the world.
If there is one thing we should learn from the case of the Clemenceau it is that we must continue the fight against toxins in our environment, whether it is a warship or a mobile phone. Otherwise we run the risk of finally winning the battle to persuade the world to recycle what it uses and discards, only to poison our environment with the by-products.
Gerd Leipold
Executive Director, Greenpeace International
It is a sad reflection of the state of our world that those workers taken on by the ship-breaking yards of India and elsewhere in the developing world are so economically disempowered that they are forced to put their lives at risk to work in such conditions. What is even sadder is that developed nations such as France are prepared to send toxic wrecks across the world to have them dismantled cheaply, knowing the deadly contents of these ships and their likely environmental and human impact.
Throughout the futile last voyage of the Clemenceau, we have kept up the pressure on both French and Indian governments, through dialogue and direct action. Our protestors have boarded the ship and chained themselves to the vessel's mast. In India, our campaigners engaged with ministers, the Supreme Court and unions, and also took to the streets to protest. Were it not for this kind of international pressure, the Clemenceau would still be quietly continuing to the ship-breaking yards of Alang to be disposed of on the cheap.
The decision by the French government to recall the Clemenceau was not a result of a sudden realisation of moral responsibility, or an act of environmental altruism. They were forced to recall the Clemenceau because its export to India is illegal under the Basel convention. Established in 1989 by 177 countries, including France and India, the convention promised to protect the environment and citizens of developing countries by banning the export of hazardous waste to places that are not able to manage them properly. We are not against the division of labour in the global market - industries such as ship-breaking offer a vital income to hundreds of thousands of workers throughout the world. Indeed, dismantling and re-using ships is an example of recycling on a grand scale - it should and must be encouraged.
This case is an example of a problem that the whole world needs to face. There are thousands of ships like the Clemenceau laden with even greater amounts of deadly toxic materials, awaiting break-up. But it is not just a problem for the ship-breaking industry. Hundreds of millions of everyday products - from mobile phones to computers and TVs - containing a huge range of toxic substances, are being dumped in massive quantities on communities who have no other economic choice than to put themselves and their environment at risk by dismantling and recycling them. Every time someone in the developed world throws away a mobile phone, computer or TV they are expecting someone else to clean up the mess, irrespective of the real human and environmental cost - millions of 'mini Clemenceaus' are happening every day.
All manufacturing industries - from ship-building to electronics and consumer goods - must now be held responsible for removing the toxins in their products. They cannot be allowed to dodge their moral and environmental responsibility to put profit first and simply allowing their toxic waste to be dumped on the cheap refuse sites of the world.
If there is one thing we should learn from the case of the Clemenceau it is that we must continue the fight against toxins in our environment, whether it is a warship or a mobile phone. Otherwise we run the risk of finally winning the battle to persuade the world to recycle what it uses and discards, only to poison our environment with the by-products.
Gerd Leipold
Executive Director, Greenpeace International
Who made this victory happen?
This is Sebastian. He spent 24 hours on the mast of the Clemenceau. He's one of the people who made this victory happen.
This is Bei. Along with thousands of others, she took a simple email action online. She's also one of the people who made this victory happen.
If you, too, were one of the people who made this victory happen, THANK YOU.
If not, Sign up to be part of our online action team today.
This is Bei. Along with thousands of others, she took a simple email action online. She's also one of the people who made this victory happen.
If you, too, were one of the people who made this victory happen, THANK YOU.
If not, Sign up to be part of our online action team today.