A Comprehensive National Strategy for Protected Areas Toward 30×30
Summary (50–75 words)
France, a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, has committed to protect 30 percent of its land and marine areas by 2030. Through the National Strategy for Protected Areas 2030, launched in 2021, the Government of France is integrating terrestrial, freshwater, and marine conservation under a single framework. The strategy emphasizes ecological representativeness, management effectiveness, connectivity, and stakeholder participation across metropolitan and overseas territories.
Accelerating Conservation Progress in France
France has demonstrated steady progress toward Target 3 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework through the implementation of its National Strategy for Protected Areas 2030 (Stratégie nationale pour les aires protégées 2030). The strategy, announced at the One Planet Summit in January 2021, constitutes the first unified national framework encompassing both mainland France and its overseas territories. It aims to ensure that 30 percent of national land and sea areas are protected by 2030, with one-third of those under strong or strict protection.
Between 2019 and 2023, France created or expanded several categories of protected areas, including national parks, nature reserves, and regional natural parks, bringing total protected coverage to approximately 33 percent of the national territory, surpassing the 30 percent benchmark. Implementation is guided by three complementary principles: representativeness of major ecosystems; effectiveness of management supported by adequate resources; and ecological connectivity through green and blue infrastructure and integrated seascapes.
Governance of the system is coordinated by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, with technical and operational support from the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB). The OFB provides capacity building, technical guidance, and data platforms to harmonize monitoring across sites. Regionalized action plans allow each territory to tailor national objectives to local ecological and socioeconomic conditions, ensuring coherence between national priorities and regional realities.
France applies a participatory approach involving local governments, scientific institutions, non-governmental organizations, and private-sector stakeholders. This collaborative model facilitates knowledge sharing and reinforces social acceptance of conservation measures. The strategy also emphasizes integrating nature conservation into wider landscapes through ecological restoration, nature-based solutions, and sustainable land-use planning.
A recognized example of effective co-management is the Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue, established in 1983 on the Mediterranean coast. The park’s governance model with local fishers, including established no-take zones, has led to recovery of fish populations and improved fisheries productivity outside the reserve, illustrating the benefits of collaborative stewardship.
Outcomes and Lessons
France’s implementation of the National Strategy for Protected Areas 2030 demonstrates the value of pairing quantitative expansion with qualitative strengthening of protected areas. Achieving over 30 percent coverage reflects significant progress toward Target 3, while ongoing efforts to improve management effectiveness and connectivity reinforce long-term ecological resilience. Key lessons include the importance of unifying terrestrial, freshwater, and marine conservation under a single strategic framework; sustaining multi-stakeholder engagement; and applying adaptive management informed by scientific monitoring.
France’s experience also offers useful insights for international collaboration, particularly regarding participatory management and the design of representative, well-connected networks. Engagement through the High Ambition Coalition and partnerships with francophone African countries and EU members supports shared learning and advances global 30×30 implementation.