MSC ESG Recognition Highlights Six Certified Management Systems

Summary

MSC has received its first ESG Recognition from DNV, bringing together six certified management systems covering environmental management, workplace safety, quality, security, information security and business continuity. The recognition confirms the systems supporting MSC’s sustainability commitments; it does not constitute a rating or verification of the company’s overall ESG performance.

Article

Independent recognition covers management frameworks

MSC ESG Recognition from DNV provides a consolidated view of the certified systems the shipping company uses to manage environmental, social and governance responsibilities.

Announcing the development on 26 October 2026, MSC said the recognition draws on independent evaluations against internationally recognised management standards.

Chief operating officer Claudio Bozzo linked the recognition to business resilience and transparency, saying structured management of ESG matters supports the company’s long-term development.

MSC identifies four priorities within its wider sustainability approach: logistics decarbonisation, ocean protection, inclusive trade and social challenges. The recognition relates to management systems supporting those priorities, rather than establishing that individual sustainability targets have been achieved.

Six standards address different operational risks

The systems covered include ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety.

Four further standards extend the scope: ISO 9001 addresses quality management; ISO 28000 covers security management; ISO/IEC 27001 concerns information security; and ISO 22301 addresses business continuity.

Together, these frameworks span responsibilities extending beyond vessel emissions. They cover organisational processes relevant to employees, customers, information, service delivery and operational resilience.

DNV Business Assurance Italy managing director Massimo Alvaro said businesses increasingly seek credible, traceable ways to demonstrate how they manage ESG-related risks. He described the recognition as confirmation of the certified systems a company operates to support its ESG performance.

Scope is distinct from an ESG performance rating

DNV’s programme requires eligible companies to hold valid certifications covering all three ESG dimensions. Its minimum requirements are DNV-issued ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 9001 certificates.

Additional eligible certifications can be included, providing stakeholders with a broader picture of the organisation’s management framework.

DNV explicitly distinguishes the recognition from an assessment, verification or rating of overall ESG performance against a particular framework or set of metrics.

Certificate boundaries also matter. Individual management-system certifications may cover defined activities or organisational units rather than every part of a company. Stakeholders therefore need to examine the underlying scopes when interpreting the recognition.

For shipping customers, this means the recognition can support an understanding of management arrangements. Specific questions about emissions, safety outcomes or other results still require the corresponding operational evidence.

Business continuity adds a resilience dimension

The inclusion of ISO 22301 is relevant to an industry dependent on interconnected transport, information and service networks.

The standard provides a framework for preparing for disruptive incidents, maintaining essential activities and supporting recovery. It requires organisations to establish, operate, monitor and improve a documented business continuity management system.

ISO describes its benefits as better risk management, emergency preparedness and organisational resilience. It can also be integrated with other management standards.

In commercial terms, such systems provide a structure for assigning responsibilities and planning responses. Their practical value depends on implementation, testing and improvement as operating conditions change.

Programme builds on an earlier DNV initiative

DNV introduced its ESG Recognition programme in February 2025, when engineering and construction company Saipem became its first recipient.

The programme was developed to bring together evidence of certified management systems as customers, regulators and other stakeholders sought more traceable information about corporate ESG arrangements.

MSC’s announcement therefore marks its own first recognition under an established programme, rather than DNV’s first issuance of the recognition.

Continuing validity depends on underlying certificates

The recognition remains valid while the recipient meets the eligibility requirements. Expiry, suspension or withdrawal of a required certificate can affect that status.

DNV provides an online checker, accessible through the recognition’s QR code, allowing stakeholders to examine current validity and certificate details.

For MSC, the development provides a consolidated reference for communicating its certified management arrangements. For customers and business partners, its usefulness lies in making those arrangements easier to identify and check alongside evidence of the company’s actual sustainability performance.

FAQs

What has MSC received?

MSC has received its first ESG Recognition from DNV, covering six certified management systems.

Is it an overall ESG rating?

No. DNV states that the recognition confirms eligible certified management systems rather than rating overall ESG performance.

Which standards are included?

ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 9001, ISO 28000, ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 22301.

Does it confirm that MSC has achieved its emissions targets?

No. The recognition concerns management systems; it does not independently establish achievement of specific environmental targets.

How can its validity be checked?

The QR code on the recognition links to DNV’s online checker, which shows current status and associated certificate information.