Scientists are contradicting the latest claims of Environment Minister Sussan Ley who says UNESCO was suggesting Australia can single-handedly lower global greenhouse gas emissions when it slapped an “in danger” warning on the Great Barrier Reef.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation last week issued a draft “in danger” listing for the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, where repeated climate change-driven bleaching events have killed at least 50 per cent of shallow-water corals.
Environment Minister Sussan Ley railed against UNESCO in an opinion piece on Wednesday.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
UNESCO’s draft ruling cited climate change as a major factor and said the Reef Water Quality Report Card 2019 left questions to be answered and it only showed “progress towards some targets”.
Ms Ley has endorsed her own government’s “very poor” health warning made in 2019 and agreed with scientists that climate change is the greatest threat to the reef’s health.
But in an article she penned in The Australian on Wednesday she railed against UNESCO, which she said had “singled out” Australia and “did not include the latest science showing coral recovery and water quality improvements”.
“Are [UNESCO’s] advisers seriously suggesting Australia can single-handedly change the emissions trajectory of the whole world?” Ms Ley said.
Ms Ley’s spokesman said UNESCO’s decision was made with “undue haste”, did not acknowledge the most up to date information from Commonwealth agencies on water quality or take into account “billions of dollars” being invested in renewable energy.
Professor Terry Hughes of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies said it was not a case of being singled out, but rather Australia was unique among wealthy nations that have corals reefs due to its lack of climate commitments.
“It should be no surprise UNESCO has linked Australia’s lack of progress on reducing emissions to an in danger listing on the Great Barrier Reef. Australia should be at the forefront of international climate efforts and that’s hardly the case,” Professor Hughes said.
Macquarie University pro-vice-chancellor Lesley Hughes said Australia is a “huge contributor” to global warming and the federal government “could do a lot” to address it with more ambitious climate policies.
Australia creates between 1.3 per cent and 1.5 per cent of global emissions, making it about the 15th largest emitting country, Professor Hughes said, and Australia is also the second-largest fossil fuel exporter.
Unlike most nations that are aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 or earlier, Australia has not set a deadline to reach net zero emissions. Australia has committed to reducing its emissions by at least 26 per cent by 2030, based on 2005 levels. The UK aims to cut emissions 78 per cent by 2035, Japan 46 per cent cut by 2030, Canada 45 per cent and the US 50 per cent by 2030.
James Cook University associate professor Scott Heron said UNESCO’s proposed “in danger” rating was driven by poor water quality and global warming – which harms the reef by causing coral bleaching events.
The reef was added to the World Heritage list in 1981 and Professor Heron said the health status has declined since then, most recently because of the impacts from climate change, poor water quality and outbreaks of coral-eating starfish.
“Actions in response by Australian governments have demonstrably been focused on water quality, however, those efforts have not met their targets.”
Professor Heron said while the Minister was right about UNESCO conducting a desktop analysis of reef health, that work was based on the “highest standard science” compiled in recent years including by the Commonwealth’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
He said the “bottom line” was Australia needed more action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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