Biodiversity and sustainable real estate news
The national program "Territories Committed to Nature" (TEN) has become a marker of ecological goodwill for local authorities. But beyond the symbolic recognition, a central question remains: how to measure the reality of these commitments?
1. The framework of the system
Deployed by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB) and the Regions, the TEN (Local Initiative for Biodiversity) aims to identify and promote local initiatives for biodiversity. In the Pays de la Loire region, the application process is based on three main areas:
- land-use planning (integration into PLU, SCoT, etc.);
- ecological management of spaces;
- Citizen participation. The label is based on self-assessment, followed by analysis from a regional jury (State, Region, OFB, Water Agency, etc.). → Observation: a logic of intention and commitment, not of measurable evaluation.
2. The structural limitation: lack of performance measurement
The scheme recognizes the approach, but requires neither ecological data nor impact indicators. Local authorities can be recognized as "committed" without producing concrete results on:
- the evolution of ecological corridors,
- the reduction of artificialization,
- Habitat restoration. → Risk: an image label without scientific basis.
3. Methodological comparison: from declarative statements to evidence
Initiatives like Effinature® or the Biodiversity Performance Score (BPS) go further: they rely on impact measurement, independent verification, and traceability of results. → Transition from biodiversity projects to verified ecological performance. This difference reflects a changing era: biodiversity is no longer a political commitment, but an accounting and technical factor to be managed.
4. Challenges ahead
The future of the TEN program will depend on its ability to:
- integrate standardized indicators (green and blue infrastructure, habitat status indicators, etc.),
- to align with certification standards,
- to allow comparison between territories. Without this, the system risks remaining a communication tool rather than a measurable tool for public action.
5. Useful Conclusion
The "Territories Committed to Nature" initiative reflects a genuine commitment, but its impact will depend on the shift to an era of evidence. This is what certification tools like Effinature and the BPS make possible: an independent, comparable, and verifiable assessment of concrete results for biodiversity.
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