Designated terrestrial protected areas

The comparison of protected areas in Switzerland with those in the EU Member States has been historically difficult because of substantial differences in the instruments and legal frameworks (e.g. the lack of an equivalent type of protection to Natura 2000 in Switzerland).

On 20 November 2024, the  that includes an updated list of areas essential for biodiversity; the list serves as the basis for international reporting on biodiversity protection. This new approach is aligned with target 3 of the Kunming–Montreal global biodiversity framework of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. Target 3 aims to protect, by 2030, at least 30% of the world’s land and marine areas through the implementation of protected areas or other effective area-based conservation measures. In Switzerland, the total biodiversity conservation area (comprising protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures) was estimated at 21.4% of the national territory in 2024. Data from previous years are not available to examine trends over time.

While there has been a slight improvement in , the overall state of biodiversity in Switzerland remains unsatisfactory, with half of all natural environments and a third of . The decline in species diversity is also leading to a deterioration of genetic diversity.