World Heritage sites threatened by climate change; UN urged to seek carbon cuts

onJun 27, 2007 @ 10:29 PDT

The UN World Heritage Convention, meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, has been asked to add six sites to its “in-danger” list . They include the Great Barrier Reef, SagarmathaNational Park (which includes Everest) in Nepal, Belize Barrier Reef, Huascaran National Park in Peru, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park on the U.S.-Canada border, and Australia’s Blue Mountains.

Petitions for the listing, which began in 2004, have attracted high-profile signatories including Everest climber Sir Edmund Hillary and BBC film-maker/naturalist Sir David Attenborough.

The convention was formed in 1972 to ensure the long-term protection of important cultural and natural sites. To date, 184 nations are signatories. Petitioners hope the 21-nation governing committee will acknowledge the threat climate change poses to the sites.

At last year’s meeting, the World Heritage Committee rejected a motion calling for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. This year, campaigners want the governing committee to reconsider its position.

By Bill Miller

Carbon Capture Is Booming. So Is the Push to Shift Oversight to States

BySarah Hofmann

onSep 11, 2026 @ 10:36 PDT

As hundreds of CO2 storage wells move toward development, the EPA is handing more regulatory authority to states — despite concerns about safety and long-term liability.