MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UNESCO calls on Australia for 'utmost priority' in protecting the Great Barrier Reef

UNESCO did not recommend placing the reef on its endangered heritage list, but did ask Australia to update protection efforts by early next year.

UNESCO has cautioned that the Australian Great Barrier Reef “remains under serious threat,” calling on the country to take immediate action to protect the world's largest coral system. “Urgent and sustained action is of utmost priority,” the United Nations' cultural organization said in a draft decision released this week.

However UNESCO did not recommend placing the reef on its endangered heritage list, but did ask Australia to update protection efforts by early next year.

The Great Barrier Reef, on the northeast coast of Australia, has the world's largest collection of coral reefs, some 400 types of coral, 1,500 fish species, and 4,000 mollusk varieties. Known for its biodiversity, the reef attracts around 2 million visitors annually.

Unesco praised Australia's steps on water quality and restrictions on gill-net fishing, but expressed concern over land clearing and urged more ambitious emission reduction targets.

Australia's Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek called the cultural body's decision a “huge win,” underlining that “we are acting on climate change, improving local water quality, protecting our marine life, dealing with invasive species, and investing a record amount of money into reef programs.”

But despite the good chemistry, Unesco asked Canberra for an update on Australia's actions regarding the reef by next February, while the country requested for the UN office to wait until 2026.

Australian environment group, Climate Council, also criticized Plibersek's positive spin on UNESCO's warning, highlighting the reef's repeated bleaching events and calling for a phase-out of fossil fuels.

“Every new coal and gas project adds harmful climate pollution into the atmosphere and further endangers the reef. The Government must build upon their clean energy plans by also planning to phase out fossil fuels,” Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said.

Environmental groups such as Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature also urged Australia to reduce emissions further and stop new fossil fuel projects.