Overview

• The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has ordered Australia to produce a detailed state of conservation report on the reef by February 2026, marking a more rigorous review than past progress updates.
• UNESCO warned that if the report shows inadequate efforts to protect the reef, it could recommend inscription on the World Heritage “In Danger” list during its 2026 session.
• The federal government points to routine heritage reviews in 2019 and 2022 and says it has committed unprecedented funding to safeguard the reef’s outstanding universal value.
• Conservation groups including the Australian Marine Conservation Society and WWF Australia insist Australia must cut climate pollution by 90 percent by 2035 and halt new fossil fuel approvals to keep the reef off the danger list.
• Reef health continues to decline under repeated mass bleaching events driven by rising sea temperatures, along with local stressors such as agricultural runoff, coastal flooding and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.