All references to Australia have been removed from a UN report on climate change after the Environment Department expressed concerns it could cause confusion and negatively affect tourism.

Key points: Report initially contained a chapter on the Great Barrier Reef, sections on Kakadu and Tasmanian forests

Report initially contained a chapter on the Great Barrier Reef, sections on Kakadu and Tasmanian forests Environment Department statement said it did not support Australia being included

Environment Department statement said it did not support Australia being included It also said Greg Hunt was not involved or briefed

The report, jointly published by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation), the Union of Concerned Scientists and the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), initially contained a chapter on the Great Barrier Reef and sections on Kakadu and Tasmanian forests.

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A statement from the Environment Department said the department "indicated it did not support any of Australia's world heritage properties being included" in the report.

It also said Environment Minister Greg Hunt was not involved or briefed on the issue.

Will Steffen, one of the scientific reviewers for the UNESCO paper, Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University and head of the Climate Council, was one of the people who made the scientific assessment of the Great Barrier Reef for the report.

He said he was "very surprised" when he saw that Australia was not included, because it was one of the major case studies in the report.

"It's obviously not only one of the most iconic world heritage sites in Australia, it's a globally iconic site and it's one of the sites where climate change is probably one of the most prominent threats," he said.

Mr Steffen said that his understanding of how the report would be used was just "a normal UNESCO report where they're putting information out on global scale issues."

"It's an information report. It's not in any way a document aimed at any particular purpose other than putting out on the table what the risks of climate change really are to some of the most beautiful places around the planet."

Reefs survival essential for tourism viability long-term

The Australian Department of Environment said one of the concerns it had was the title, 'Destinations at Risk'.

The department said the title had potential to cause considerable confusion because only six months earlier the World Heritage Committee had decided not to include the Great Barrier Reef on the endangered list.

Mr Steffen said he thought there was a difference in terminology.

"There's a technical thing about the World Heritage endangered list, but whether it is or it isn't, there is absolutely no doubt that the Great Barrier Reef is at risk of increasing temperature rise, of coral bleaching, of ocean acidification.

"That is extremely well documented. We've just seen over the past month exactly what that's all about."

He said he had not been in contact with the department and had not sought an explanation as to the decision.

Sorry, this video has expired 'An ecosystem like no other': David Attenborough explores the Great Barrier Reef

But he warned that if Australia wanted to keep tourism viable in the longer term, then it had to get on top of the major risks threatening the reef and other world heritage sites.

"You can't sweep that under the carpet. The best thing that we can do is say look, we're doing everything in the short term to protect the reef and we are taking some actions there," he said.

"Where we really fall down is we're trying to sweep under the carpet the long-term, most fundamental threat to the reef.

"We have to do both of those of things simultaneously."

He said on all levels of Government, from the Prime Minister to ministers, there was a need to recognise that climate change "is the most significant long term threat to the reef, there's no doubt about that."

"Australia, if anything, should be on the front foot urging other countries to reduce their emissions rather than lagging behind what most other countries are doing."