On 10 July 1976, France unanimously adopted a landmark law for nature protection. Fifty years later, this legacy is under threat, at a time when biodiversity loss and climate change are intensifying.
To mark this anniversary, Tour du Valat has joined forces with several nature conservation organisations to remind us that protecting the living world is neither a luxury nor a barrier to development: it is a prerequisite for our collective resilience.
The 1976 Act laid the foundations for many French biodiversity protection policies: species protection, nature reserves, impact assessments, and the recognition of nature as a common heritage. Fifty years on, it is essential to preserve this legacy and carry forward its ambition, rather than gradually weakening the protections built up over recent decades.
The joint press release highlights, in particular, the contradictions between stated biodiversity ambitions and certain recent legislative developments, particularly concerning wetlands, water, and protected areas.
Read the press release “Nature in Danger, 50 Years after the 1976 Act” (in French)