Les solutions face à la baisse de la biodiversité

• France's first national nature reserve was created in the early 1960s (Luitel Lake in 1961) and the first national park was established (Vanoise in 1963). Since then, protected areas have expanded through regulations protecting natural habitats to preserve our biodiversity. • Several criteria are used to define protected areas: • The abundance of wildlife, vegetation, and species. • The presence of threatened species, migration or breeding sites. • Diversity of plant species and ecological corridors linking preserved areas. • Minimal human modification of the natural environment. • Additional protection strategies are being implemented. The national strategy for protected areas was adopted in 2021. It aims to protect 30% of national territory, both terrestrial and marine, by 2030, with 10% under strong protection. • By 2024, France exceeded its protection target: 33% of national territory, maritime and terrestrial, is covered by protected areas, totalling 363 million hectares out of 1 billion hectares. Additionally, 4.2%, or 46 million hectares, is under strong protection in 2024, compared to 1.8% in 2021. In 2023, 4% of all species are protected in at least one part of French territory.

The national action plan for threatened species enables the conservation or restoration of endangered or particularly important wild species when other environmental policies have been deemed insufficient. It meets requirements of the European 'Birds' and 'Habitats, Fauna, Flora' directives on biodiversity maintenance and restoration.

• In November 2023, the French government adopted the National Biodiversity Strategy 2030. It implements France's commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity collapse in line with the global biodiversity framework, adopted in December 2022 in Montreal at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity. • France has set 40 measures by 2030, in line with the European Union, to notably: • reduce pesticide risk by half; • restore 30% of degraded terrestrial and marine ecosystems; • protect 30% of national territory, terrestrial and marine, including 10% under strong protection, meaning human activities in these zones are prohibited or severely restricted; • reduce establishment of invasive alien species by 50%; • halt species extinction caused by human activity by 2050.

• Since adoption of the 2016 law for biodiversity, nature and landscape recovery, all development projects must apply the 'avoid, reduce and compensate' principle. Developers must first seek to avoid harm to biodiversity, or reduce impacts that cannot be avoided. • Compensation through habitat rehabilitation, restoration or creation must be complemented by conservation management measures. Between 2016 and 2023, 6,564 such measures were prescribed in France, including 41 in overseas territories.

Wildlife passages exemplify this approach by reconnecting natural habitats separated by roads, railways or dams. These passages reduce the risk of animals being struck by vehicles. Wildlife passages take various forms: vegetated bridges or tunnels for example. In 2022, a motorway operator counted over 1,800 wildlife passages on its 9,200 km network.

Corridors integrate biodiversity into territorial planning. They are created by local authorities (regional councils, municipal communities, municipalities, etc.). The 'green corridor' covers terrestrial and semi-natural habitats, while the 'blue corridor' refers to aquatic and wetland environments. This network includes biodiversity reserves and ecological corridors, which are habitats and movement spaces for species.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora regulates international trade in over 40,000 animal and plant species. It aims to ensure that international trade in animals and plants, alive or dead, as well as their parts and derived products does not harm biodiversity conservation and is based on sustainable management of wild species. This agreement was signed by 183 countries, including France, in 1978.

Facing biodiversity decline despite conservation policies in place, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services recommends profound change to improve our relationship with nature. This includes actions such as protecting and restoring natural spaces, reducing pressures on biodiversity, reorganising the economy and production systems, and transitioning towards sustainable lifestyles and cities.

France is committed to maintaining or restoring a favourable conservation status for threatened species on the global red list and to controlling trade in wild species.