France National Law: nature in corporate governance

Summary

On 28 October 2025, a group of NGOs presented a legislative proposal to Member of Parliament Charles Fournier (Green Party) aimed at strengthening the representation of nature within corporate governance in France. The proposal sought to facilitate the adoption of ecological governance models in large companies by formally integrating nature into corporate decision-making structures and establishing a legal framework for practices that currently exist outside the formal legal system.

In France, members of the National Assembly and the Senate have the right to initiate legislation, although in practice most laws originate from government bills. Submitting a members’ bill is procedurally simpler than introducing a government bill. In this context, on 3 March 2026, MP Charles Fournier formally introduced a members’ bill in the French National Assembly.

The proposed legislation includes the creation of environmental committees within companies’ Social and Economic Committees (CSE), as well as mechanisms to introduce representation of nature at the level of boards of directors and shareholders’ meetings. The bill has since been referred to the Committee on Social Affairs, where it is scheduled for consideration in April 2026.

Legal Framing:
Under France’s 2019 Pacte Law, companies are required to “take into consideration the social and environmental issues related to their activities.” However, this has not consistently translated into substantive environmental governance. While French law does allow companies to experiment with nature representation—for example, Norsys introduced a nature governance model in 2024—existing corporate law structures make it difficult to meaningfully influence environmental strategy.

In particular, the principle of specialization of governance bodies concentrates authority within executive management and boards of directors, restricting the role of employees and other stakeholders in shaping environmental policy. The proposed legislation seeks to address this gap by enabling nature—alongside employees and shareholders—to participate more directly in corporate governance processes.

Key Provisions
The bill proposes three measures to incorporate nature into corporate governance:

Article 1 – Nature in Social Dialogue
Companies with at least 300 employees would be required to establish environmental committees within their Social and Economic Committees (CSE). These committees would assess environmental impacts—particularly in relation to planetary boundaries—and participate in mandatory negotiations on environmental issues every four years. Members would receive company-funded training in scientific, legal, and technical aspects of ecosystem protection.

Article 2 – Nature on Boards of Directors
Companies with at least 1,000 employees in France or 5,000 globally would appoint two independent directors representing nature. These directors would be selected from public-interest organizations or institutions with recognized environmental expertise, have no financial interests in the company, and would be mandated to defend ecosystem interests and support the company’s environmental transition.

Article 3 – Nature in Shareholders’ Meetings
Companies with at least 1,000 employees would be required to develop an environmental policy addressing the impacts of their activities on the nine planetary boundaries. This policy would be submitted annually to the shareholders’ general meeting. Stakeholder representation may also support the allocation of shares to foundations representing the environmental public interest.

The bill states that: “the representation of nature within these three bodies would allow it to be recognized as a stakeholder in the broader social interest of the company… and promote the sustainable reconciliation of economic, social and environmental imperatives within corporate governance.”

The initiative is led by Vivøices, Notre Affaire à Tous, B Lab France, Corporate Regeneration, Earth Law Center, and Mouvess. The bill was drafted by Frantz Gault, Marine Yzquierdo, and Paul Montjotin, reviewed by Inès-Anaïs Martinet and the Delsol firm, and supported by Thomas Breuzard, Antoine Cadi, Christian Andreo, Jérôme Giusti, Guillaume Wahl, and Dorothée Browaeys.

Analysis

Environmental groups warn that the representation of nature in corporations risks remaining symbolic and devolving into greenwashing. The bill acknowledges that “simply changing governance criteria cannot, on its own, guarantee a genuine transformation of corporate environmental practices. To prevent these new governance models from becoming mere public relations exercises, it is essential that social and environmental criteria be fully integrated into corporate strategies and reporting. Such an approach will help prevent greenwashing and ensure that the portrayal of nature is accompanied by a genuine commitment to social and environmental responsibility.”

However, as the Rousseau Institute notes, its still important to highlight that the current corporate framework “translates into agendas that ignore ecological matters. And in boards of directors, it translates into the absence of checks and balances and a lack of openness to stakeholders—including nature—who nevertheless sustain these companies.” Which is why a systemic integration of social and environmental issues, in addition to a change in governance models, must be transformed into corporate strategy.

Involved Organizations