France has announced a 39-measure National Strategy for Biodiversity that focuses on reducing pressures on the environment and restoring degraded ecosystems.
A total of 39 new measures are being initiated by the French government in an effort to preserve the country’s biological diversity for future generations and overall environmental wellbeing.
Mainland France and its oversea territories are home to a staggering 10% of known flora and fauna – that’s 180,000 different species – and in excess of 600 new species are discovered every year, predominantly in the country’s overseas territories.
To protect these natural treasures, many of which are under threat and considered endangered, the government is now working to preserve the environment with the “National Strategy for Biodiversity” plan that was presented at the most recent meeting of the National Biodiversity Committee on 20th July.
THE SCHEME
The plan is centred on four main axes: to reduce pressure on the environment, restore degraded ecosystems, mobilise all players, and to have the ways and means to fulfil these ambitions.
“An integral part of ecological planning, our national biodiversity strategy follows a strong ambition: to stop and then reverse the collapse of living organisms within a decade,” said Élisabeth Borne, the French prime minister, as she unveiled the project.
Some of the more proactive measures include strengthening the fight against plastic pollution, combating widespread light pollution, better managing invasive species, and accelerating the country’s agroecological transition.
ON LAND AND AT SEA
France is also seeking to considerably increased the number and volume of protected sites within its land and sea borders, and around 400 new sites are expected to be within these protections by 2027.
By 2030, the goal is to have 30% of French territory classed as protected as well as all of its coral reefs. France currently controls about 10% of all coral reefs in the world.
The government also intends to plant a billion trees by the end of the decade in addition to 50,000 kilometres of native hedgerow species.
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Photo source: Ray Ziak, Unsplash