Overview
- The analysis examines 248 protected vertebrate species in metropolitan France using the Living Planet methodology, with overseas territories excluded due to insufficient comparable data.
- Species supported by a Plan National d’Action show the strongest results, with average populations multiplied by six since 1990, yet only about 3% of vertebrates benefit from such plans.
- Greater flamingos in the Camargue have quadrupled to more than 70,000 breeding birds in spring, a rebound linked to habitat restoration and decades of site management.
- The cinereous vulture has risen from a single pair in 1996 to 55 pairs after successive PNAs and reintroduction efforts, and other targeted species such as certain bats also show gains.
- WWF highlights continuing declines across many habitats and species—hedgerows down 70% since 1950, tree sparrows down 91%, and the gulper shark down 99%—and calls for applying polluter‑pays rules, phasing out €37 billion in damaging subsidies, and mobilizing private finance.