Australia argues against Great Barrier Reef's recommended endangered status

Now this is pretty interesting. Feel free to leave a note in the comments section about how the Australians don't know what they are talking about - but the UN does based on their 10 day fact finding mission.

The UN cultural agency released a report warning that without "ambitious, rapid and sustained" climate action, the world's largest coral reef is in peril.

Australia's environment minister has said her government will lobby against a recommendation by a UN panel that the Great Barrier Reef should be listed as a world heritage site that is "in danger".

UNESCO has said the world's biggest coral reef ecosystem has been significantly impacted by climate change and the warming of the oceans.

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The report, which recommended shifting the Great Barrier Reef to endangered status, followed a 10-day mission in March to the reef off Australia's northeast coast that was added to the World Heritage list in 1981.

Canberra has lobbied for years to keep the reef - which contributes A$6.4bn (£3.6bn) to the economy - off the endangered list as it could lead to losing the heritage status, taking some shine off its attraction for tourists.

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...the new centre-left Labor party government has already addressed several of the report's concerns, including action on climate change.

"We'll very clearly make the point to UNESCO that there is no need to single the Great Barrier Reef out in this way" with an endangered listing, Ms Plibersek told reporters.

"The reason that UNESCO in the past has singled out a place as at risk is because they wanted to see greater government investment or greater government action and, since the change of government, both of those things have happened," she added.

The new government has legislated to commit Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below the 2005 level by 2030.

The previous government only committed to a reduction of 26% to 28% by the end of the decade.

The independent Great Barrier Reef Foundation said the recommendation to add the reef to the endangered list was premature.

 

 

Comments

[MR]

The Foundation wants to wait until the reef is maturely endangered so it won't take shine off its attraction for tourists? Got it.

[JP]

Tom, do you know why the pyramids are still in Egypt?

Because they were too heavy to carry back to the UK 🇬🇧