Set more ambitious climate targets to save Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO urges Australia

UNESCO has urged Australia to set more ambitious climate targets for the Great Barrier Reef in a list of recommendations to maintain its status as a world heritage site.

The report, published in Paris late on Monday, did not recommend placing the rubber on a list of “at risk” sites – a threat that has lingered over the rock for years – when the 21-nation world heritage committee meets next month. next.

But the report says Australia should be required to submit a progress report by February 2025, after which the committee “may consider including the property on the list of World Heritage in Danger” at its 2026 meeting.

UNESCO also said it was of “grave concern” that land clearing rates in catchments draining into the reef were “incompatible” with targets to cut sediment and nutrients flowing into the reef.

UNESCO expressed its “deepest concern” over the massive coral bleaching event that hit reefs this summer, urging Australia to make the rate of coral death public “as soon as possible”.

UNESCO experts wrote: “The current bleaching occurs as part of the fourth global mass bleaching event, which is likely to affect at least 30% of World Heritage-listed coral reef properties, and the implications for the entire coral reef system. world heritage should also be taken into account from now on.”

The reef “remains under serious threat and urgent and sustained action is the highest priority in order to improve the resilience of the property in a rapidly changing climate,” the report said.

The UNESCO report, co-authored with scientific experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, includes a series of “draft decisions” which act as recommendations for the 10-day meeting of the World Heritage Committee in India starting on July 21.

UNESCO said Australia must continue efforts to reduce pollution spilling onto the reef and control outbreaks of starfish that eat coral.

The recommendation comes after one of the worst summers on record for reefs with widespread and extreme bleaching that hit in the same summer as two cyclones and outbreaks of native starfish eating coral.

Almost three-quarters of reefs surveyed by government scientists saw at least 10% of their corals bleached. Parts of the southern section of the reef saw the highest levels of heat stress ever recorded in the reef.

The committee warned Australia last year, saying it would not put the reef on the “at risk” list, but said more action was needed on climate targets and pollution.

The committee asked Australia to report on progress by February this year, but has since also reviewed information on the most recent bleaching event.

Australia has previously told Unesco it is “on track” to have national climate targets in line with keeping global warming to 1.5C.

The coalition has said it would not support the country’s current targets if it won the next election, saying they were too ambitious.

The reef has flirted with the “in danger” world heritage list for years, most recently in 2021 when the Morrison government launched a major lobbying push to committee members after UNESCO said climate impacts and pollution from farms qualified the reef for risk list. .

The committee went against UNESCO’s advice after the Australian government, which was then a member of the committee, took several positions in favor of other countries and against UNESCO’s advice, including an agreement with Spain, UNESCO’s ambassador- s said it was agreed in exchange for Spain supporting Australia’s position on the reef.