Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is in more danger than you think

UNESCO is urging Australian authorities to take action and place the Great Barrier Reef on the heritage list of sites that are “in danger”.

If the recommendation is followed, it will be the first time a natural world heritage site has been placed on the list as a result of climate change.

Australia’s environment minister, Susan Lay says she has joined the foreign affairs minister to contact Unesco’s director-general.

Ley says the government will “strongly oppose” the recommendation, describing the suggestion as a “backflip on previous assurances” that this would not happen.

Generally, “in danger” listings follow the after-effects of armed conflict, war, pollution and excessive urbanisation.

The UNESCO report says Australia’s 2050 reef plan “requires stronger and clearer commitments… urgently countering the effects of climate change”.

Meanwhile, Ley says “the government will contest this flawed approach, which is one that has been taken without adequate consultation.”

Ley believes climate change is the biggest threat to the reef, but the world heritage committee is “not the forum to make a point” about it.

“You weren’t blindsided, you had your eyes open”

Meanwhile Greens senator Sarah Hanson Young has slammed these comments on Twitter saying quote “Australia’s Environment minister says her government was “blindsided by the UN declaring the great barrier reef in danger.

Ahh no. You weren’t blindsided you had your eyes closed, you ignored the science and kept taking donations from the fossil fuel industry.”