In a world-first, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, has been nominated to become the first non-human recipient of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) highest environmental honour — the Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award. The nomination, announced today on World Earth Day (22 April), is led by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Reef Guardian Councils. It represents a collective effort by the many communities and industries who have long lived and worked alongside the Reef, including Traditional Owners, marine scientists, students, and tourism operators.
Known as The Lifetime of Greatness Project, this initiative seeks to ignite a global movement, celebrating one of Earth’s most extraordinary ecosystems and the largest living structure on the planet. Chair of the Reef Guardian Councils, Jeff Baines, said the Great Barrier Reef was an inspiration to millions and had left an indelible mark on both the natural world and all those who experience it, making it an ideal candidate for the award.
“The Great Barrier Reef is unequivocally the best candidate for a Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Baines. It has been a catalyst for environmental protection, has supported First Nations communities for millennia, safeguarded marine biodiversity, and inspired countless future generations.”
The nomination is based on UNEP’s criteria, which stipulates that only living individuals — defined as distinct entities — are eligible. Drawing on UNESCO’s designation of the Reef as a “globally outstanding and significant entity,” the submission argues the Great Barrier Reef fully qualifies.
The Reef has been a guardian of life for almost 10,000 years, nurturing over 9,000 species of marine life and acting as a vital resource and cultural pillar for Traditional Owners. A specially produced submission video features Traditional Owners sharing how the Reef has served as a teacher, healer, and provider across generations. It is further supported by Master Reef Guides, marine biologists, and students from Newman Catholic College, part of the Reef Guardian Schools programme, who speak to its profound impact.
“Sir David Attenborough is among those previously honoured with this award for a lifetime of contribution to the Earth’s wellbeing,” Baines noted. “It is only fitting that the Great Barrier Reef — a living, breathing entity that leads by example — is recognised in a similar way”, added Baines
The nomination forms part of The Lifetime of Greatness Project, an initiative spearheaded by Tourism Tropical North Queensland, which today launches a worldwide call to action, inviting the global community to support this landmark effort.
