Australia tried to influence other countries and Unesco to keep Great Barrier Reef off in-danger list — Documents seen by Guardian Australia show a sustained strategy approved by environment minister

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1. By Graham Readfearn:

   *[…] The strategy outlined how Australia would target meetings with newer members of the committee, would meet in person and virtually with Unesco and its advisers and identified opportunities in other international meetings to put its case that it was doing its utmost to protect the reef.*

   *Australia’s election to the executive board of Unesco the previous month would provide “an additional avenue to promote Australia’s World Heritage interests”, the strategy said.*

   *[…] Overseas Australian government staff posted in committee member countries were sent questionnaires to fill out to gather intelligence. Diplomats in Greece, Bulgaria, Argentina, Lebanon, Belgium and Jamaica were among those to complete the work.*

   *Staff were asked to identify environment groups, media outlets and journalists in their country with a “history of advocacy” or interest in the reef. They were asked to outline their member states’ position on world heritage issues, and its views on the reef being possibly listed as in-danger.*

   *Almost all the responses to the questionnaires were heavily redacted, as were several other cables and documents.*

   *[…] The Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson, who requested the documents, said they revealed “a furious, coordinated and global lobbying effort to keep the Great Barrier Reef off the World Heritage in danger list”.*

   *He said he believed if the reef was placed on the in-danger list, it would draw attention to Australia’s fossil fuel export industry.*

   *“Successive pro-fossil fuel Australian governments know this, hence it’s not in their interest to see an in danger listing,” he said.*

   *“Australia simply cannot be the guardian of this greatest natural wonder of the world and also the third biggest exporter of fossil fuels on the planet. It is a stark choice between coal or coral.”*

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