The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian · PDF filefor an additional 79m tonnes ......

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The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian government November 2016

Transcript of The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian · PDF filefor an additional 79m tonnes ......

The Great Barrier Reef,

UNESCO and the

Australian government

November 2016

Bleached coral at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, March 2016.

© The Ocean Agency

Cover image: ©Greenpeace/Amendolia

On or before 1 December, the Australian government must

submit a report to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee

detailing its handling of the health of the Great Barrier Reef

in the last 18 months – a period during which it suffered

its worst ever coral bleaching and the death of 22% of its

coral. The Australian government claimed that it has made

“good progress” during this time.In 2012, UNESCO warned Australia the Great Barrier Reef was under imminent threat and could be listed as “in danger”. Fears about the reef were sparked by its deteriorating condition and the dangers posed by further coal expansion projects in the area. An “in danger” listing allows the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to allocate assistance from the World Heritage Fund. The act of listing a site as “in danger” can be seen as an embarrassment for the government responsible.

In July 2015, after intense lobbying from the Australian government, UNESCO placed the Great Barrier Reef on its watch list, declining to list it as “in danger”. The Australian government committed to regular updates on its handling of the reef’s health over the next five years.Before 1 December, the Australian government must report back with its first submission to UNESCO about its handling of the Great Barrier Reef’s health.

In the time that has elapsed between July 2015 and now, almost a quarter (22%) of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral has died after the most severe coral bleaching event in history. The bleaching was caused by higher water temperatures caused by climate change and the El Nino weather pattern.1 Australia’s carbon emissions have increased during that time and the Australian government has committed to and approved a number of projects that are detrimental to the Great Barrier Reef’s health.

The deadline

The backstory

1 Media Briefing The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian government The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian government Media Briefing 2

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What has Australia done for the Great Barrier Reef during this period?

20 March

Australian government announced Reef 2050 long-term sustainability planUnder pressure from UNESCO, the government announced a framework for protecting and managing the reef until 2050. The proposals included a partial ban on dumping dredge spoil from coal port developments in the Great Barrier Reef, $100m to improve water quality, and reductions in pesticide and sediment pollution – but little action to curb the impacts of climate change.2

1 July

UNESCO placed the Great Barrier Reef on its ‘watch list’After lobbying by the Australian government, the UN’s World Heritage Committee declined to list the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger”, but announced it would continue to monitor the reef over the next five years and that Australia must show significant progress in its conservation plan by the end of 2016.3

12 August

Government announced emission reduction target of 26-28% from 2005 emissionsThe targets were criticised as being too low to be compatible with the global ambition to limit the global temperature rise to 2C. The government’s own climate change authority recommended a 40-60% target from Australia’s emissions in the year 2000.4

16 October

Australian government approved largest coal mine in Australian historyThe federal government approved an application to open Australia’s largest ever coal mine. The Carmichael coal mine would be larger than many capital cities, and responsible for an additional 79m tonnes of CO2 emissions per year (more than New York’s annual emissions5). An earlier approval was previously overruled by a federal court over the government’s failure to take into account the mine’s impact on two vulnerable local species.6

12 December

Paris climate agreement reachedAustralia is one of 196 parties to adopt the historic Paris climate agreement at the COP21. The agreement sets 1.5C global temperature warming as a target limit for governments. The agreement is heralded as the end of the fossil fuel era.7

23 December

Australian government approved large coal port dredging in the Great Barrier ReefThe expansion of the Abbot Point coal terminal in Queensland would involve dredging 1.1 million cubic metres of sea floor in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. It would allow more coal to be exported from Australia and shipped through the Great Barrier Reef.8

Source: Empire State Building fact in graphic above9

24 December

Government announced an increase in Australia’s carbon emissionsAustralian emissions increased by nearly 1% in 2015 according to a federal government report. Australia emitted 549.3 mega-tonnes of carbon in 2014-15, an increase of 0.8% on the year previous. This figure jumped to 1.3% when land use and deforestation were taken into account. The government quietly released the figures on Christmas Eve.10

21 March

Coral bleaching hit the Great Barrier ReefGreat Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority raised the threat level in response to “severe regional bleaching” in the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef.11

3 April

Australia approved mining leases for Adani’s Carmichael coal mineQueensland state government approves three mining leases for Australia’s largest coal mine. The mine would export through a new port on the coast and ship coal directly through the Great Barrier Reef.12

13 June

Prime minister announced $1bn of loans to protect Great Barrier ReefThe announcement focused efforts on water quality, crown-of-thorns starfish and clean energy in the Great Barrier Reef area. Critics attacked the announcement as again failing to take seriously climate change and fossil fuels, the major threats to the reef. The money was also found to have been diverted from a fund that would otherwise have solely funded clean energy projects in Australia.18

6 April

Australian government announced hundreds of climate science job cutsUp to 350 jobs at Australia’s government science organisation CSIRO were cut, with the majority falling in the climate science department.13

18 August

Land clearing legislation to protect the reef failed to passA bill to pass laws to prevent land clearing – a source of both carbon emissions and runoff pollution to the reef – failed to pass in Queensland’s state parliament. The legislation was a key part of Australia’s Reef 2050 plan.19

27 May

Mentions of the Great Barrier Reef were removed from a UNESCO climate change report after intervention from the Australian governmentPressure from the Australian government’s environment department forced the removal of all mentions of Australia from a UNESCO report on climate change and its impact on world heritage-listed sites.16

5 October

Global threshold for Paris climate agreement reachedThe Paris climate agreement threshold for entry into force was met after the European Union ratified the agreement. The global agreement’s climate targets are entirely incompatible with opening new fossil fuel projects.21

19 April

93% of reefs on the Great Barrier Reef found to be affected by bleachingAerial survey conducted by the National Coral Bleaching Task Force found widespread bleaching across the length of the 2,300km Great Barrier Reef.14 The bleaching event is the worst in the reef’s history.15

29 September

Government claimed ‘good progress’ in protecting the reef during previous yearThe first annual update on the Reef 2050 plan saw the Australian government claim it was making “good progress” in protecting the Great Barrier Reef over the previous year, despite the death of 22% of its coral during that time. Climate change was mentioned just four times in the 36-page document.20

3 June

Government scientists announced 22% of Great Barrier Reef coral dead from bleachingAlmost a quarter of the coral on the Great Barrier Reef was found to be dead as a result of the year’s bleaching event, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.17

9 October

Proposed largest coal mine granted special status by Queensland state governmentDays after the threshold for entry into force of the Paris climate agreement was met, the Carmichael coal mine was granted “critical” status by the Queensland state government to speed up the approval process.22

1 December

Deadline for Australia to report on progress to protect the reef to UNESCOAustralia must report on its progress on conserving the Great Barrier Reef to the UN.

2015 Emissions

1.04m3 1.1m3

Abbot Pt dredge spoil

Great Barrier Reef

Emission reduction target:

40-60% from 2000 levels

26-28% from 2005 levels

2015 2016 DEADLINE

3 Media Briefing The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian government The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian government Media Briefing 5

CRITICAL

STATUS

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APPROVED CSIRO

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AUSTRALIA'S

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APPROVED

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The Carmichael coal mine

Coral bleachingThe Reef 2050 planThe Australian federal government released the Reef 2050 plan in March 2015 as part of its response to UNESCO’s threat to categorise the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger”.

Despite conceding that climate change is the “biggest long-term threat” to the reef’s health, the Reef 2050 plan offered little action to curb the impacts of climate change. The report’s main proposals include a ban on dumping dredge from new coal port developments in the Great Barrier Reef marine park, $100m to improve water quality, and reductions in pesticide and sediment pollution. In October 2016, the chief of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority admitted that climate change should have featured more heavily in the Reef 2050 plan.23

The Paris climate agreement saw governments all over the world, including Australia, agree to aim to limit global temperature increases to within 1.5C/2C. However, if nations were to mine and burn all the world’s currently operating coal, gas, and oil field reserves, the resultant carbon emissions would break through the 2C upper limit.25 Opening up even more coal, gas and oil reserves is simply incompatible with the Paris climate agreement that Australia and the rest of the world has signed.

Australia’s coal exports (coal that is mined in Australia and then sold abroad) are responsible for almost double the carbon emissions (1bn tonnes CO2) of Australia’s domestic emissions (560m tonnes CO2)26. Australia’s coal exports are by far the nation’s largest contribution to climate change and global warming – and there are more than 60 major coal projects in the pipeline.

As coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel, a permanent ban on new coal mines that would keep more Australian coal in the ground is the first and most logical step towards meeting Australia’s global commitment to averting the worst impacts of climate change.

The Carmichael coal mine is the largest coal mine ever proposed in Australia. It is planned by mining company Adani and will be located in the Galilee Basin in Queensland. The scale of the proposed mine dwarfs many of the world’s capital cities. At full production, the mine will produce 60 million tonnes of coal per year and its annual CO2 footprint will be bigger than the cities of New York and Tokyo. It has been plagued by funding withdrawals and subject to legal challenges, but has received unprecedented support from Australian state and federal governments.

Much of coral’s colour comes from marine algae known as zooxanthellae, which symbiotically inhabit the polyps and provide much of the nutrition that corals rely on to thrive. When surface ocean temperature increases – a consequence of climate change – the coral polyps react to the changing conditions by expelling the zooxanthellae, which in turn leads to bleaching. In severe and protracted bleaching events, the coral will die as a consequence.

Why ban new coal mines?

7 Media Briefing The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian government The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian government Media Briefing 8Media Briefing The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian government 6

London Tokyo New York

Sydney

Map comparing size of Carmichael mine and Sydney24

Carmichael mine size

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m Bleached coral at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, March 2016.

Chapter

The proposed Carmichael coal mine the Australian government approved would be

responsible for more CO2 per year than cities such as New York and Tokyo.36

Additional facts

Australia is the largest exporter of coal in the world28

Coal is the largest source of CO2 emissions into the

atmosphere, making it the main driver of climate

change29

Highest per capita carbon emissions of developed nations27

1981Largest living structure on the planet

2oC?

Climate change is the largest threat to the Great Barrier Reef 32

The year the Great Barrier Reef was

listed as a UNESCO World Heritage33

Australia’s exported CO2 emissions from coal are

almost double those of the country’s entire domestic emissions

– but are not included in the government’s

calculations of carbon emissions.30

The potential carbon emissions from the world’s existing oil, gas and coal fields would already exceed the Paris climate agreement upper target of a

2C temperature increase limit, making any new fossil fuel projects entirely

incompatible with global climate targets.35

Carmichael

CO2

New YorkTokyo

CO2CO2

in Australia's CO2 exports since 199034

253%

Australia's exported CO2

emissions1bn tonnes

Australia's domestic CO2

emissions560m tonnes

The Great Barrier Reef is more than 2,300km long.

It is roughly as large as Japan, Italy or Germany.31

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mHay Point Coal Terminal, Queensland is one of the largest coal export terminals in Australia and services coal mined from the Bowen Basin.

Manta Rays swim in the Great Barrier Reef.

ChapterChapter

References

1 Slezak, M., The Guardian, ‘Great Barrier Reef bleaching made 175 times likelier by human-caused climate change, say scientists’, 29 April 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/29/great-barrier-reef-bleaching-made-175-times-likelier-by-human-caused-climate-change-say-scientists>

2 Government of Australia, Department of Energy and the Environment, ‘The Reef 2050 Plan’, 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/gbr/long-term-sustainability-plan>

3 Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), ‘Great Barrier Reef: World Heritage Committee decides against declaring reef as 'in danger'’, 2 July 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-01/unesco-great-barrier-reef/6588118>

4 Hasham, N. and Macdonald-Smith, A., Sydney Morning Herald, ‘Emissions target leaves Australia trailing pack, say critics’, 11 August 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/emissions-target-leaves-australia-trailing-pack-say-critics-20150811-giwtgm.html>

5 Taylor, L., The Guardian, ‘Coal from Carmichael mine 'will create more annual emissions than New York’, 12 Nov 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/nov/12/coal-from-carmichael-mine-will-create-more-annual-emissions-than-new-york>

6 Milman, O., The Guardian, ‘Adani Carmichael mine in Queensland gets another green light from Coalition’, 15 October 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/15/adani-carmichael-mine-in-queensland-gets-another-green-light-from-coalition>

7 Goldenberg, S et al, The Guardian, ‘Paris climate deal: nearly 200 nations sign in end of fossil fuel era’, 13 December 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/12/paris-climate-deal-200-nations-sign-finish-fossil-fuel-era>

8 Horn, A., Ford, E et al, ABC, ‘Abbot Point: Federal Government approves huge coal port expansion near Great Barrier Reef’, 23 December 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-22/massive-abbot-point-coal-port-expansion-gets-federal-approval/7047380>

9 Empire State Realty Trust, ‘Empire State Building Fact Sheet,’ undated, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.esbnyc.com/sites/default/files/esb_fact_sheet_4_9_14_4.pdf>

10 Bourke, L., Sydney Morning Herald, ‘Australia's carbon emissions jump in 2015’, 26 December 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australias-carbon-emissions-jump-in-2015--20151225-glv017.html>

11 AAP via Sky News, ‘Coral bleaching on Barrier Reef getting worse’, 21 March 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/qld/2016/03/21/coral-bleaching-on-barrier-reef-getting-worse.html>

12 AAP via The Guardian, ‘Adani's Carmichael coalmine leases approved by Queensland’, 3 April 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/

apr/03/adanis-carmichael-coalmine-leases-approved-by-queensland>

13 Safi, M. and Slezak, M., The Guardian, ‘CSIRO confirms up to 350 job cuts, with climate research bearing the brunt’, 4 February 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/04/csiro-confirms-300-job-cuts-with-climate-research-bearing-the-brunt>

14 Arup, T., Sydney Morning Herald, ‘The Great Barrier Reef: 93% hit by coral bleaching, surveys reveal’, 20 April 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/the-great-barrier-reef--93-hit-by-coral-bleaching-surveys-reveal-20160419-goa6jw.html>

15 Normile, D., Science, ‘Survey confirms worst-ever coral bleaching at Great Barrier Reef’, 18 April 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/04/survey-confirms-worst-ever-coral-bleaching-great-barrier-reef>

16 Slezak, M., The Guardian, ‘Australia scrubbed from UN climate change report after government intervention’, 27 May 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/27/australia-scrubbed-from-un-climate-change-report-after-government-intervention>

17 Slezak, M., The Guardian, ‘Agencies say 22% of Barrier Reef coral is dead, correcting 'misinterpretation'’, 3 June 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, < https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/03/agencies-say-22-of-barrier-reef-coral-is-dead-correcting-misinterpretation>

18 Slezak, M., The Guardian, ‘When you poke the Coalition's Great Barrier Reef 'rescue mission' it crumbles’, 13 June 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jun/13/when-you-poke-the-coalitions-great-barrier-reef-rescue-mission-it-crumbles>

19 Burke, G., ABC, ‘Queensland tree clearing laws fail to pass Parliament in blow to minority Labor Government’, 19 August 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-19/queensland-parliament-tree-clearing-laws-fail-unesco-fears/7765214>

20 Government of Australia, Department of Energy and the Environment, ‘Reef 2050 Plan Annual Report and Implementation Strategy’, 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/gbr/publications/reef-2050-plan-annual-report-implementation-strategy>

21 Muttitt, G. et al, Oil Change International et al, ‘The Sky’s Limit: Why the Paris Climate Goals Require a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production’, 22 September 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://priceofoil.org/2016/09/22/the-skys-limit-report/>

22 ABC, ‘Adani coal mine gains 'critical' status as Queensland Government moves to kick-start project’ 10 October 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-10/adani-coal-mine-gains-critical-status-queensland-kick-start-move/7917506>

23 AAP via 9 News, ‘Call for more climate focus in reef plan’, 16 October 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/10/17/13/40/call-for-more-climate-focus-in-reef-plan>

24 See, for example, links accessed 4 November 2016:

Comparison with Sydney <http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/74D9/production/_86131992_sydney_carmichael_mine_comparison_624.jpg>, Paris <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmichael_coal_mine#/media/File:Carmichael_mine_Paris.jpg>, London <https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/theausinstitute/pages/176/attachments/original/1440036045/London_vs_Carmichael.jpg?1440036045>

25 Muttitt, G. et al, Oil Change International et al, ‘The Sky’s Limit: Why the Paris Climate Goals Require a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production’, 22 September 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://priceofoil.org/2016/09/22/the-skys-limit-report/>

26 Greenpeace Australia Pacific, ‘Exporting climate change, killing the Reef’, April 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/what-we-do/climate/resources/reports/Exporting-climate-change-killing-the-Reef/>

27 PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 'Trends in global CO2 emission: 2015 report', November 2015, accessed 7 November 2016, <http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/news_docs/jrc-2015-trends-in-global-co2-emissions-2015-report-98184.pdf>

28 International Energy Agency. 'Coal medium term market report 2015', December 2015, accessed 7 November 2016 <http://www.iea.org/Textbase/npsum/MTCMR2015SUM.pdf>

29 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. 'Great Barrier Reef outlook report 2014', August 2014, accessed 7 November 2016 <http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/cdn/2014/GBRMPA-Outlook-Report-IN-BRIEF-2014/>

30 Muttitt, G. et al, Oil Change International et al, ‘The Sky’s Limit: Why the Paris Climate Goals Require a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production’, 22 September 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://priceofoil.org/2016/09/22/the-skys-limit-report/>

31 Greenpeace Australia Pacific, ‘Exporting climate change, killing the Reef’, April 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/what-we-do/climate/resources/reports/Exporting-climate-change-killing-the-Reef/>

32 ibid.

33 Government of Australia, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, ‘Facts about the Great Barrier Reef’, undated, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef/facts-about-the-great-barrier-reef>

34 Government of Australia, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, ‘Criteria values and attributes’, undated, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/about-the-reef/heritage/great-barrier-reef-world-heritage-area/criteria-values-and-attributes>

35 Amos, C., and Swann, T., The Australia Institute, ‘Carmichael in context: Quantifying Australia’s threat to climate action’, November 2015, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://www.tai.org.au/sites/defualt/files/Amos%202015%20Carmichael%20in%20context%20-.pdf>

36 Muttitt, G. et al, Oil Change International et al, ‘The Sky’s Limit: Why the Paris Climate Goals Require a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production’, 22 September 2016, accessed 4 November 2016, <http://priceofoil.org/2016/09/22/the-skys-limit-report/>

11 Media Briefing The Great Barrier Reef, UNESCO and the Australian government

A before and after image of coral bleaching and later dying in March / May 2016, at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

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For more information contact:

Available for interview:Shani TagerReef campaigner Mobile: +61 427 914 070 [email protected]

Media enquiries:Liam Kelly Mobile: +61 407 742 025 [email protected]

Photo/Video resources:Great Barrier Reef photographs/ video footage available at: photo.greenpeace.org

Published April 2016 by: Greenpeace Australia Pacific Level 2, 33 Mountain Street Ultimo NSW 2007 Australia

© 2016 Greenpeace greenpeace.org/australia