CHINA'S ECOLOGICAL PROTECTION REDLINE POLICY: ALIGNMENT WITH GBF TARGETS AND IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES

ABSTRACT

This study examines the alignment between China’s Ecological Protection Redline (EPR) policy and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets, and identifies implementation barriers. Using qualitative content analysis and policy alignment matrix methods, it analyzes post-2022 policy documents and government reports. Findings show EPR aligns well with GBF’s 30×30 target and ecosystem protection goals but faces gaps in participatory mechanisms and monitoring. Key challenges include cross-sector coordination deficits, funding instability, and weak local capacity. It concludes that optimizing multi-stakeholder engagement and monitoring systems is critical for GBF implementation.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Данное исследование изучает степень соответствия между политикой красных линий экологической защиты (EPR) Китая и целями Куньмин-Монреальской глобальной рамочной программы по биоразнообразию (GBF), а также выявляет барьеры на пути её реализации. С помощью методов качественного контент-анализа и анализа матрицы соответствия политик проводится анализ политических документов и правительственных отчётов, выпущенных после 2022 года. Результаты показывают, что политика красных линий экоохраны в значительной степени согласуется с целью «30×30» GBF и задачами по защите экосистем, однако существуют пробелы в области participatory механизмов и системы мониторинга. Ключевые проблемы включают дефицит межведомственной координации, нестабильность финансирования и слабый потенциал на местном уровне. В исследовании делается вывод, что оптимизация взаимодействия множества заинтересованных сторон и развитие систем мониторинга имеют критическое значение для реализации GBF.

Keywords: Ecological Protection Redline, Kunming-Montreal GBF, Policy Alignment, Biodiversity Conservation, Implementation Challenges.

Ключевые слова: Красные линии экоохраны, Куньмин-Монреальская глобальная рамочная программа по биоразнообразию (GBF), Соответствие политик, Охрана биоразнообразия, Проблемы реализации.

Global biodiversity loss has reached unprecedented levels, driven by habitat degradation, climate change, and land-use change, threatening human well-being and sustainable development goals. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted in 2022, established 23 actionable targets by 2030, including the 30×30 target (protecting 30% of terrestrial and marine areas) and ecosystem integrity restoration [2, c 19-21]. As a megadiverse country and GBF champion, China has integrated GBF goals into its national strategy, with the Ecological Protection Redline (EPR) policy as a core regulatory tool. Covering 30% of China’s land area, EPR designates ecologically critical zones for strict protection. However, systematic analysis of EPR’s alignment with GBF and implementation challenges remains insufficient. This study addresses this gap to provide insights for effective policy integration.

The research focuses on two interrelated objects: (1) China’s EPR policy system, including its legal basis, spatial demarcation, regulatory measures, and post-2022 adjustments in the China Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023–2030)[7, c 48-55]; (2) Key GBF targets relevant to spatial protection, specifically Target 3 (30×30 protection), Target 4 (ecosystem integrity), and Target 11 (protected area connectivity)[2, c 25-28]. The study explores how EPR translates these global targets into domestic action and identifies alignment gaps.

A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative content analysis and policy alignment evaluation was adopted, following Braun and Clarke’s six-stage thematic analysis framework and Nilsson et al.’s SDG alignment assessment methodology [9, c 320-322].

Qualitative Content Analysis: Thematic coding of 18 key documents (2019–2025), including EPR regulations, NBSAP updates, and Ministry of Ecology and Environment reports[7, c 72-78], to extract policy tools (regulatory, economic, participatory) and GBF integration measures；Policy Alignment Matrix: A 5-point scoring system (1=no alignment, 5=full alignment) evaluating EPR against 3 core GBF targets, based on policy objective clarity, implementation mechanism completeness, resource allocation, and monitoring robustness[2, c 31-33]；Secondary Data Validation: Cross-referencing with academic studies and CBD national reports to verify implementation effectiveness.

Secondary data was collected from three sources: Policy Documents: EPR-related laws (e.g., Wetland Protection Law), NBSAP 2023–2030[7, c 35-42], and National Territorial Spatial Planning Outline (2021–2035) [8, c 92-98] from government portals. Government Reports: 2022–2024 China Ecological Environment Status Bulletin and CBD voluntary national updates [2, c 38-41]. Academic Literature: Peer-reviewed studies (2020–2025) on EPR and GBF from Web of Science, focusing on implementation assessments. Data was filtered for timeliness (post-2022 GBF adoption) and relevance, with 32 documents selected for analysis.

Deductive coding based on Gunningham and Sinclair’s policy mechanism framework (regulatory, economic, participatory, knowledge-based) identified three core themes [5, c 135-138]:

Regulatory Integration: EPR’s inclusion of GBF’s spatial protection requirements in territorial planning [8, c 105-108]. Implementation Gaps: Deficits in funding and stakeholder engagement. Monitoring Limitations: Inconsistent cross-regional data standards. Inductive coding added “policy synergy challenges” (conflicts between EPR and local development policies).

The matrix evaluation showed: Target 3 (30×30): Score 4 (high alignment) – EPR covers 30% of land, matching GBF’s quantitative requirement but lacking marine protection integration [2, c 20-21]. Target 4 (Ecosystem Integrity): Score 4 – EPR’s ecological restoration measures align with GBF [2, c 26-27], but freshwater ecosystem coverage is insufficient. Target 11 (Connectivity): Score 3 (moderate alignment) – Weak inter-redline corridor construction [2, c 29-30].

Cross-referencing coding results with academic literature revealed four key challenges:

Cross-sector Coordination: Over 20 involved departments lack unified enforcement standards [8, c 112-114]. Funding Instability: Central ecological compensation (78 billion yuan in 2022) is project-based, not long-term. Local Capacity: Weak monitoring in western regions due to technical shortages. Participation Deficit: Limited NGO and community involvement in EPR demarcation.

EPR demonstrates strong alignment with GBF’s regulatory objectives [2, c 17-18]. As a top-down spatial control tool, it directly contributes to Target 3 by protecting 30% of terrestrial areas, including biodiversity hotspots like the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau[6, c 1640-1643]. Regulatory integration is evident in NBSAP 2023–2030[7, c 50-52], which embeds EPR into GBF implementation guidelines [2, c 34-35]. Economic mechanisms, such as ecological compensation, support Target 14 (sustainable use) [2, c 43-45], but remain dependent on central funding.

However, gaps exist in participatory and knowledge-based mechanisms. Unlike India’s BMCs or Brazil’s PainelBio, EPR lacks institutionalized community engagement, conflicting with GBF’s stakeholder participation requirements (Target 22) [2, c 56-58]. Monitoring systems also fall short of GBF’s framework [1, c 5-7], with inconsistent data across provinces, as noted in Feng et al.’s 2025 study on ecosystem assessment [4, c 9-11].

EPR’s multi-departmental governance structure causes enforcement delays. For example, conflicts between the Ministry of Natural Resources (spatial planning) [8, c 100-102] and local governments (economic development) have slowed redline demarcation in Yunnan, hindering Target 4’s ecosystem restoration goals [2, c 27-28]. This mirrors Danielsen et al.’s finding of cross-sector coordination deficits in GBF implementation [3, c 1732-1734].

Project-based funding leads to unsustainable protection. The Yangtze River basin’s EPR restoration projects faced interruptions in 2023 due to budget shifts, affecting species recovery (e.g., Yangtze finless porpoise). Local capacity gaps are prominent in western China, where 40% of counties lack remote sensing monitoring tools, as reported in the 2024 National Biodiversity Conservation Report [7, c 85-87].

Community exclusion risks social resistance. In Sichuan’s giant panda reserves, EPR restrictions on traditional grazing without compensation triggered conflicts, undermining policy legitimacy. Monitoring inadequacies, such as unstandardized biodiversity indicators, prevent accurate tracking of GBF Target 15 (ecosystem restoration progress) [2, c 47-49], as highlighted by Affinito et al.’s critique of GBF’s monitoring framework [1, c 8-10].

China’s EPR policy is a robust tool for translating GBF’s spatial protection targets into domestic action [2, c 16-17], achieving high alignment with the 30×30 and ecosystem integrity goals. However, its effectiveness is constrained by coordination deficits, funding instability, weak local capacity, and insufficient stakeholder engagement. To enhance GBF implementation, China should: (1) Establish a national EPR coordination committee to unify inter-departmental standards [8, c 118-120]; (2) Develop long-term funding mechanisms (e.g., green bonds) to supplement central compensation; (3) Build local monitoring capacity through technical training; (4) Institutionalize community participation in redline management. These measures can strengthen EPR’s role in global biodiversity governance and provide lessons for other developing countries.

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