The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas is the first global standard of best practice for area-based conservation. It is a programme of certification for protected and conserved areas – national parks, natural World Heritage sites, community conserved areas, nature reserves and so on – that are effectively managed and fairly governed. By giving recognition to well-managed and well-governed protected and conserved areas, the IUCN Green List aims to increase the number of natural areas delivering long-lasting conservation results for people and nature.

How it works
Sites join the IUCN Green List by committing to achieving its standard. They become certified once they demonstrate a high bar of environmental and social performance. The IUCN Green List Standard addresses four themes: good governance, sound design and planning, effective management, and positive conservation outcomes. The time from application to certification depends on the management quality of the site at the time of application. Sites choose when they are ready for evaluation, and have up to a maximum of five years to achieve certification, which is valid for a five year period. During that time, sites are regularly evaluated and reviewed against a set of demanding criteria. Enrolled sites therefore benefit from expert guidance on how to improve their performance and impacts. They also become part of a network, fostering exchange and learning among conservation practitioners.

The IUCN Green List Standard provides a global framework for assessing, improving and recognizing the performance of protected and conserved areas; however, as such it is not one of the common methodologies to evaluate the governance or equity of protected and conserved areas. Other assessment tools introduced in this PAME Dashboard, such as GAPA, SAPA and SAGE, have been developed for that purpose and can also support protected and conserved areas in the Green Listing process.

For further information on IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas please refer to:

IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas: Standard, Version 1.1

IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas: User Manual, Version 1.2

Please check the IUCN Green List website to make sure you use the latest Standard and User Manual: https://iucngreenlist.org/