Australia could find itself in the dock for failing to cut greenhouse gas emissions, on the grounds that it has a legal duty to protect the Great Barrier Reef, a World Heritage site. Other countries with World Heritage sites could also face legal action.
Australia has refused to ratify the Kyoto protocol or take other steps to tackle climate change, even though many scientists regard global warming as a serious threat to the reef. Yet under the World Heritage Convention, the government is obliged to “do all it can”, “to the utmost of its resources”, to preserve the reef. Failing…
