AXA Climate has published a new study on biodiversity in France and its overseas territories. It reveals that only 43% of threatened species, identified using internationally recognised scientific methodologies, are protected by law. It also highlights significant geographical disparities, with mainland France ranking as the third least well protected territory. Finally, whilst birds and mammals are well protected (95%), this is far less the case for insects (6%), despite their their vital ecological role.
Biodiversity loss is accelerating and is widely recognised as one of the most significant systemic risks facing humanity
As ecosystems degrade, the services they provide—such as pollination, soil fertility, water regulation and climate stability—are weakened, directly affecting economic and social systems. The protection of threatened species has therefore become a central pillar of global biodiversity strategies.
Biodiversity protection relies on two complementary mechanisms. The first is scientific assessment, notably through the IUCN ‘Red List’. The second mechanism consists of legislative frameworks. In France, species protection is primarily governed by the Environment Code (L. 411-1, 2016) and further specified by national and regional regulations. As a Member State of the European Union, France must also implement European directives and regulations, as well as international agreements.
The first conclusion of the AXA Climate study is clear
In France, less than half (43%) of the species assessed as threatened are protected by law.
This gap reflects a broader structural issue. Scientific knowledge is evolving rapidly, with new species assessments and status revisions regularly reflecting emerging threats. Legal protection, however, operates within a slower political and administrative timetable.
It is also worth noting that certain non-threatened species are nevertheless protected due to the interest they generate within society (butterflies or dragonflies, for example). The AXA Climate study highlights that a significant proportion (68%) of species protected by law are not considered threatened.
To help close this gap, the authors advocate an approach focused on protecting species that play a structuring role in ecosystems—‘keystone’ species—as well as the habitats and ecological functions that support them.
Significant geographical disparities
In France, geographical disparities reveal uneven levels of knowledge and protection. More than 100,000 species of flora and fauna are recorded in mainland France and Corsica, compared with only 28,704 in French Guiana, despite its vast Amazonian ecosystems and a supposedly higher level of endemic biodiversity.
The proportion of species that have undergone a threat assessment varies considerably across French territories, ranging from 52% in Saint Barthélemy and 55% in Wallis and Futuna, up to 97% in Adélie Land (in Antarctica). Metropolitan France and Corsica stand at 89%, above the median of 79%.
However, the proportion of species assessed does not necessarily translate into stronger protection. Metropolitan France and Corsica have the highest number of threatened species, with 1,445 identified, but only 34% of these are protected by law, making this the third-lowest protection rate among French territories.
Uneven protection between vertebrates and invertebrates
Native vertebrates benefit from near-complete coverage, with around 95% of threatened birds, reptiles and mammals protected and 88% of amphibians, whilst lampreys (a group of jawless fish) reach 100%. In contrast, protection levels drop sharply for most groups of invertebrates. Bivalves (or molluscs) and anthozoans (such as corals) reach around 42–43%, and threatened insects, despite their immense species richness, benefit from only 6% protection.
“Our study shows that regulatory compliance alone does not guarantee that risks to biodiversity are being managed,” explain Dr Julie Rode, Head of Nature Research, Raphael Marchand, Nature Data Engineer, Remy Poncet, Head of Agri-Food Resilience Innovation, and Geoffroy Dufay, Head of Agricultural Insurance and Investment Development at AXA Climate, authors of the study. “Many sectors, particularly agriculture, depend on ecosystem services supported by species that are often overlooked by regulation. When these services are disrupted, it directly threatens the stability of food systems. This is why it is crucial to address this blind spot and better assess this type of risk to secure supply chains. In this context, particular attention could be paid to ‘keystone’ species. For a company, investing in biodiversity knowledge can become a real strategic advantage.”
