The Great Barrier Reef has been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award in the United Nations Environment Programme’s highly regarded Champions of the Earth environmental awards.
It comes after the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Reef Guardian Councils collaborated with the communities of the Great Barrier Reef including Traditional Owners, marine biologists, the tourism industry and Reef Guardian Schools to nominate the World Heritage Area as the first non-human recipient of the award.
Katherine Reid, CEO of Bundaberg Tourism, had this to say in response to the announcement.
“Here in Bundaberg on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, the Reef is not just a destination, but a living legacy,” she said.
“In every encounter, our tourism champions become storytellers, helping the world fall in love with what must be protected.
“On the waters of Lady Musgrave and Lady Elliot, and in the coral gardens nurtured by Monsoon Aquatics, visitors don’t just see the Reef, they come to know the Reef through wonder, through learning, through care.”
“The Great Barrier Reef is a deserving recipient of this Lifetime Achievement recognition in the United Nations Champions of the Earth Awards, a natural icon of global significance, and we urge everyone to take the time to support.”
Announcing the nomination on World Earth Day (April 22), Reef Guardian Council’s Chair Jeff Baines said the Great Barrier Reef inspired greatness and had a profound impact on both the environment and on the people who visit it.
“The Great Barrier Reef is hands-down the best candidate for a Lifetime Achievement Award,” he said.
“A catalyst for environmental initiatives, the Great Barrier Reef supports First Nations communities, protects marine life and teaches future generations.
“We are using the voices of the communities of the Great Barrier Reef to persuade the United Nations Environment Programme to crown the Great Barrier Reef as the first non-human recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of almost 10,000 years of positive environmental impact.
“Sir David Attenborough is among the environmental titans to previously win this award which is given to a living individual who has demonstrated decades of impact in protecting the Earth and its inhabitants.
“Only living individuals can win and an individual is defined as a distinct entity, so using UNESCO’s definition of the Great Barrier Reef as a globally outstanding and significant entity, we argue that the Great Barrier Reef meets the entry requirements.
“The supporting submission video features Traditional Owners speaking about the Great Barrier Reef being a teacher, healer and provider to First Nations communities for millennia.
“Master Reef Guides and marine biologists have also backed the submission drawing attention to the fact that the Great Barrier Reef protects more than 9000 species of marine life creating one of the most biodiverse environments on Earth and brings millions of people together every year through sustainable initiatives.
The nomination is part of The Lifetime of Greatness Project which Tourism Tropical North Queensland is launching today with a worldwide initiative to encourage the global community to get involved.
For more information visit alifetimeofgreatness.com.
This project has been made possible by Tourism Tropical North Queensland, and the grant funding received from the Australian Government, under the International Tourism Recovery Program administered by Austrade.
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