Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Environment
Graham Readfearn Environment and climate correspondent

Australia tried to influence other countries and Unesco to keep Great Barrier Reef off in-danger list

Composite image showing coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef and Australia’s environment minister Tanya Plibersek
Australia’s environment minister Tanya Plibersek says the government is ‘proud of the work we’ve done to better protect the Great Barrier Reef’. Composite: Guardian Design/Getty Images/AAP

The Australian government carried out an international lobbying campaign to keep the Great Barrier Reef off a list of world heritage sites in danger, including dispatching politicians and officials to Unesco’s Paris headquarters and asking diplomats to gather intelligence on countries that could influence the decision.

The campaign is revealed in documents released to the Greens after a parliamentary request and show how Australia sought to influence Unesco and members of the 21-country world heritage committee in the lead up to a crunch meeting in July last year.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.