Australia argues against ‘endangered’ Great Barrier Reef status

Australia’s environment minister has said her government will lobby against Unesco adding the Great Barrier Reef to a list of endangered World Heritage sites (Sam McNeil/AP)

Australia’s environment minister has said her government will lobby against Unesco adding the Great Barrier Reef to a list of endangered World Heritage sites, arguing that criticisms of government inaction on climate change are outdated.

Officials from the UN cultural agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature released a report on Monday warning that, without “ambitious, rapid and sustained” climate action, the world’s largest coral reef is in peril.