France in action

With such a remarkable and diverse natural heritage, France clearly has a major global responsibility for taking action to prevent biodiversity loss. To address these key issues, the country is carrying out initiatives in order to generate a national and international mobilisation of all stakeholders in favour of biodiversity.

“The IUCN World Conservation Congress is a fundamental step for COP15 to be to biodiversity what COP21 was to climate: a founding moment in the international mobilisation in favour of biodiversity. The commitment of local authorities, local actors, businesses and citizens is essential to make Marseille the world capital of biodiversity in 2021”.

Bérangère Abba, Secretary of State in charge of Biodiversity, meeting of the Local Steering Committee for the organization of the IUCN Congress, 12 February 2021, Marseille prefecture

At an international level

In order to recall the importance and high level of ambition it gives to climate and biodiversity issues in its environmental diplomacy, France has carried out various actions:

• Hosting of the 7th Plenary session of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in Paris (29 April to 4 May 2019). One of its outcome was the adoption of the first “global assessment of the state of nature and the goods and services it provides humanity”. This global biodiversity assessment makes an alarming observation of the planet’s situation, noting in particular that “the health of ecosystems on which we, as well as all other species depend, is deteriorating faster than ever”.

• Hosting of the G7 Environment (5 and 6 May 2019) in Metz. One of the outcomes was the adoption of the “Metz Charter for biodiversity”. This Charter, scientifically based on the IPBES report, will raise biodiversity issues to the same level as climate issues. Committing its signatories to combating the erosion of biodiversity through concrete actions, the “Metz Charter for biodiversity” is structured around three main axes:
  • Accelerating efforts to combat biodiversity erosion
  • Encouraging the participation of other parties and stakeholders
  • Supporting the development and implementation of a post-2020 global biodiversity framework

• After taking the presidency of the G7 on 1 January 2019, France hosted the G7 summit in Biarritz, from 24 to 26 August 2019. Placing the fight against inequalities and the consequences of global warming at the top of its priorities, this eco-responsible event was notably marked by the ratification of the Biodiversity Charter, and the commitment to provide USD 20 million to fight forest fires in the Amazon.

• France’s participation in the 74th Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the largest multilateral event in the world. At the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, held on 24 to 25 September 2020, world leaders presented ambitious action plans for the next decade in order to achieve the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals. It is in this context that President Emmanuel Macron, in line with the initiatives carried out at the G7 Biarritz meeting, referred in his address to the United Nations to the issues of climate and biodiversity protection.

• On January 11, 2021, the fourth edition of the One Planet Summit was held in Paris. For this edition entirely devoted to biodiversity, decision-makers from all over the world gathered to accelerate international action in favour of nature. Major advances have been made, such as the protection of 30% of marine and land areas by 2030 or an investment of USD14 billion aimed at greening the Sahel. At the end of that meeting, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, reiterated his determination to uphold all of these commitments and identified the IUCN World Conservation Congress, to be held in Marseille from 3 to 11 September 2021 as the next milestone in this process.

At national level

With 68% of threatened habitats in Europe in the country, France is implementing national policies aimed on the one hand at protecting species and natural areas within its territory, and on the other at establishing a transition towards more respectful production and consumption patterns for our environment.

Among the major public policies implemented to preserve biodiversity in France we can mention:

• 1961: first nature reserve and first national parks law in France. In 2019, protected areas (of all categories) covered 21% of French terrestrial territory and 22% of French waters.
• 1976: first law on nature protection.
• 1982: initiation of the inventory of natural areas of ecological, flora and fauna interest (ZNIEFF). As of April 2018, 55% of the ZNIEFF were protected or managed for the conservation of natural heritage.
• 1985: the “Mountain” Law strikes a balance between development and the protection of mountain areas.
• 1986: the “Littoral” Law oversees coastal development in order to reconcile economic development and natural heritage and landscape protection in coastal areas.
• 1992: the Natura 2000 network is established by a European directive.
• 1993: Law on landscape protection and enhancement.
• Since 1996: implementation of national action plans for threatened species.
• 2000: introduction of the Territorial Coherence Scheme (SCOT). SCOT is a strategic planning document that identifies, at the level of several municipalities or groups of municipalities, a proposed territory in which all policies on urban planning, housing, commuting and commercial facilities are harmonised, in a preserved and valued environment.
• 2004 : Launch of the first National Biodiversity Strategy, which implements the French commitments under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. In 2021, France is developing its third biodiversity strategy, which will set the course for the next 10 years.
• 2007: creation of the blue and green frame in the French legislation, through the “Grenelle 1” Law.
• 2010: the so-called “Grenelle 2” Law sets the objective to preserve 2% of the metropolitan territory's land area by 2019 by developing a network of areas under strong protection.
• 2011: adoption of the national biodiversity strategy until 2020.
• 2015: 2.1 billion EUR were dedicated to the preservation of biodiversity.
• 2016: Law on Reclaiming Biodiversity, Nature and Landscapes. Objective to achieve no biodiversity net loss and creation of the French Agency for Biodiversity, which supports biodiversity actors and spatial planning.
• 2017: development of the national strategy for the sea and coastlines.
• 2018: launch of the “Ecophyto 2+” national plan for the reduction of pesticides.Adoption of the Biodiversity Plan. Structured around 5 strategic areas, 24 targets and 90 actions, it addresses the issue of preserving and restoring biodiversity as a whole. It aims to achieve the goal of no net biodiversity loss (reflected in the 2016 Law). Launch of the National strategy to combat imported deforestation. It aims to end deforestation caused by French imports of unsustainable forest or agricultural products by 2030. It targets soybeans, palm oil, beef and its processed products, cocoa, rubber, as well as wood and its derivatives.
• 2021: In January, France adopted for the first time a National Protected Areas Strategy for both terrestrial and marine areas, on the mainland or overseas. The objective is to protect, by 2022, 30% of the national territory and maritime areas, of which a third with strong protection.

Clearly, the stakes are high, and France aims to create a mobilisation both at national and international level for the protection, preservation and restoration of biodiversity.

At national level, France aims to catalyse an overall movement of the general public and civil society, local and regional authorities, but also of all economic stakeholders and companies, in order to involve them closely in the preparation, organisation and hosting of the IUCN Congress 2020.

More generally, after hosting the 7th Plenary of IPBES in Paris, the G7 Environment in Metz and the G7 of Heads of State and Government in Biarritz in 2019, organising the 7th IUCN World Conservation Congress gives France the opportunity to include biodiversity in a national and global strategy, at the same level of importance as climate change. This Congress will be a key step in the process of defining the future global framework for biodiversity, which will culminate in China, in May 2021, at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15).