Abstract

This case discusses the controversial issues surrounding the decommissioned French warship Le Clemenceau, which was on its way to Alang, a major ship-breaking yard in India, for dismantling. However, the ship was recalled to France due to presssure from various environmental activist organizations like Greenpeace, who claimed that the ship had high quantities of toxic asbestos and PCBs. The case also highlights the problems faced by ship-breaking yard owners and companies in light of the Le Clemenceau controversy. The case brings out the issue of business versus safety with regard to the ship-breaking industry in developing countries in Asia.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the issue of environmental activism and their impact on business and labor practices in developing countries.: Understand the conflict between worker.: safety issues and business interests of the ship-breaking industry.

Keywords

Le Clemenceau, Ship-breaking and scrapping, Ship dismantling, Greenpeace, Environmental activism, Asbestos, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), Business ethics, Industrial relations, Labor safety standards and laws, France Warship, Alang,, Supreme Court of India, Lung cancer, Mesothelioma