SYDNEY, 25 March 2020 – In response to renowned Professor Terry Hughes reporting a mass bleaching event in the Great Barrier Reef, Kate Smolski, Acting Program Director of Greenpeace Australia Pacific said:“Coal-driven climate change is threatening our beautiful reef, and the many communities and tourism workers who depend on a healthy reef for their livelihoods which are already at risk from the coronavirus outbreak.”
“As future economic stimulus measures are being meted out – the Federal Government must include measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as the number one threat to the Great Barrier Reef, which provides billions to the economy every year”
“The fact is, climate change is driving catastrophic reef bleaching, and the coal industry is the biggest driver of climate change in Australia.”
“In order to protect the Great Barrier Reef, we need real solutions to address the climate crisis which is being driven by the burning of coal, oil and gas”
“For years, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly refused to act on climate change while our precious reef is ravaged by climate damage.”
“Greenpeace is calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to take climate change seriously, get out of bed with the fossil fuel industry, and protect the Great Barrier Reef by urgently reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, which have been rising for over four years.”
For more information please contact Communications Manager Nelli Stevenson on 0481 303 815 or email [email protected]