Story 07 Oct, 2025

Global Milestone: 100+ Listings Representing 200+ Sites Now Recognised on the IUCN Green List

In September 2025, seven sites from Asia, Europe, and South America were added to the IUCN Green List. Their inclusion reflects excellence in governance, management, and measurable conservation outcomes across a diverse range of landscapes and seascapes.

Photo: Photo: CONAF

In France, the Iroise Marine Nature Park off the coast of Brittany stands as an example of inclusive governance and management. Created in 2007, it protects rich marine biodiversity and fishing traditions through a participatory governance model that brings together local communities, government agencies, sea professionals, and conservation groups.

Also newly listed is Vietnam’s Con Dao National Park, a jewel of tropical biodiversity comprising both forest and marine areas. It conserves coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds supporting dugongs, and green turtles along with 27 different types of Vietnamese Heritage Trees among other values. Through ecotourism, co-management with local communities, and science-based monitoring, Con Dao demonstrates how conservation and sustainable livelihoods can reinforce one another.

From China, the Bogda Component of Xinjiang Tianshan World Natural Heritage site showcases the world’s most representative temperate arid mountain ecosystems. Its striking glaciers, alpine meadows, and rare flora and fauna form a natural laboratory for studying how life adapts to climate change in arid environments. In addition, three nature reserves in Hubei Province, China, also earned recognition for their remarkable ecological value and management excellence.

Hubei Mulinzi National Nature Reserve preserves some of Central China’s most intact evergreen–deciduous mixed forests, home to rare and endemic plants such as the dove tree and forest musk deer.

Hubei Dalaoling National Nature Reserve, in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, it protects rare wildlife and vital migratory bird corridors within a forest ecosystem that has been managed sustainably since the 1950s.

Hubei Wufeng Houhe National Nature Reserve hosts more than 3,000 species of vascular plants and over 400 species of vertebrates, including black bears, golden eagles, and forest musk deer, making it one of the richest biodiversity areas in the region.

In South America, Cerro Castillo National Park in Chile safeguards the dramatic Patagonian forests and mountains of the Aysén region. It is a stronghold for the endangered South Andean huemul deer and a model for inclusive, community-driven management that balances conservation with local development.

Assurance and Expertise at the Heart of the Green List

What makes the IUCN Green List distinct is its assurance process — ensuring that every recognition is credible, transparent, and independently verified.

Each site is evaluated against the IUCN Green List Standard, which measures performance across four pillars:

Good governance, ensuring inclusive and fair decision-making;

Sound design and planning, for long-term ecological viability;

Effective management, backed by evidence and adaptive practices; and

Conservation outcomes, demonstrating tangible results for biodiversity and people.

These evaluations are carried out by Expert Assessment Groups for the Green List (EAGLs) — national and regional teams of independent experts who review evidence, consult stakeholders, and make recommendations based on context and performance. Moreover, the listing process is also subject to review by independent reviewers appointed by ASI, our assurance partner, verifying that each site and each assessment followed the procedures in the User Manual. Ensuring transparency and traceability for each successful Listing.

This assurance process upholds the integrity of the Green List — that it remains a trusted global standard for fair and effective conservation success.

A Growing Movement for Effective Conservation

With more than 100 Listings now achieved, the IUCN Green List is expanding into a worldwide movement that celebrates success and builds accountability in conservation. Its growth comes at a crucial time as countries work to meet the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s target of protecting at least 30% of the planet’s land and sea by 2030.

Beyond recognition, the Green List provides a roadmap for continuous improvement — supporting site managers, governments, and communities in strengthening their conservation efforts over time.

IUCN invites governments, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples, and private landowners to join the Green List journey. The upcoming World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi will be a chance to celebrate this milestone while we share, connect and inspire.