Today's declaration of a fourth global coral bleaching event reaffirms only the strongest political action on climate change and environmental law reform can secure a future for the Great Barrier Reef - which is now 75% bleached.
As stated by Greens spokesperson for healthy oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson:
"Transformative action to reverse climate change impacts on the world's reefs has been possible, but political will and determination has let us down - including by successive Australian governments.
"In recent weeks the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority quietly released data showing a shocking 75% of the Great Barrier Reef is now bleached, caused by extreme ocean warming from the burning of fossil fuels.
"The world is now watching, we can't continue to monitor the Great Barrier Reef to its death. Our government must take a leadership role in protecting the Reef by increasing Australia's climate ambition and improving our broken environment laws.
"Frustratingly, Labor appears satisfied with a weak climate target that is consistent with degrading 99 per cent of the world's coral reefs, and is failing to show meaningful accountability for breaking its election promise to deliver comprehensive environmental law reform.
"You can't acknowledge climate change is the biggest threat to our marine ecosystems on one hand, and on the other rip open new coal and gas projects that are cooking our oceans. It's completely disingenuous.
"So long as Labor is beholden to vested interests and big corporations, Australia will never get the climate action or environmental protection it needs to save the Great Barrier Reef from being annihilated by political stupidity."
