Ship Scrapping and UN:s Sustainable Development Goals - An environmentally focused comparison between ship recycling yards in Turkey, India and Bangladesh and their compliance with UN:s sustainable development goals

“We find many names for those we love” is a common expression. However, when it comes to Ship-breaking, Beaching, Ship Recycling or Ship Scrapping, many might argue this is in a way inappropriate due to the terrible working conditions for the shipyard workers and the degradation of the surrounding environment. Turkey, India and Bangladesh represents the most active countries within the ship-breaking industry where Bangladesh is currently leading in most scrapped ships per year. The three countries all operate under different legislations, economic power and geographical circumstances. The thesis has been a qualitative case-study based on documentary research with the main purpose of elucidating the process each ship goes through when scrapped, separately for each country. This process includes the environmental standpoints, legal aspects and management of waste created in the process. In addition, a survey of future aspirations and projection towards the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals has been carried out. The case-study indicates that there are differences in the ship-breaking process in terms coping with environmental responsibility and regulations where Turkey and India often prove be industry leading, whereas Bangladesh in several ways lack clear targets and responsibility over the activities carried out on the tidal beaches. What can be concluded regarding Turkey, India and Bangladesh is that all three countries have, in one way or the other, included the 17 Sustainable Development Goals into their future planning reports. Despite the comprehensive reports Turkey, India and Bangladesh have published on the subject, few substantial matters have been presented in terms of development towards the goals, especially in terms of ship recycling