London, 1st June 2009. A UK Parliamentary Committee has branded the IMO "not fit for purpose" and the shipping industry as "irresponsible" for not doing more to tackle GHG emissions from ships.

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee report, which was published today, goes on to say that emissions from shipping cannot be allowed to continue to escalate and that there are no insurmountable obstacles to making cuts.

The report urges the UK government to show leadership on this issue at IMO. Greenhouse gas emissions from shipping looks likely to dominate the 29th session of the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee which takes place in London in July.

To download the Select Committee Report

To read the Guardian's article on the report