Great Barrier Reef outlook worsens to ‘critical’ as climate change named number one threat to world heritage sites

The condition of the Great Barrier Reef has worsened from “significant concern” to “critical” in a damning world heritage outlook report by a UNESCO advisory body.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) escalated the reef’s status to the worst possible rating in its report on Thursday and named climate change the greatest threat to the Australian natural wonder.

The move comes as an influx of tourists return to Queensland after the easing of coronavirus…