The whole of Fuerteventura and part of its offshore waters have been listed by UNESCO's international conservation programme, Man and the Biosphere.

This reserve represents one of the world's major geopalentological observatories with its wide range of ecosystems from desert or semi-desert areas to coastal areas, with its rich diversity of marine species such as dolphins and cachalots, its marine turtles which use the beaches for reproduction, as well as its focus on sustainable ecotourism,  
Fuerteventura is also noted for its increasing investment in renewable energy mainly through wind-based and solar energy production, and as a model for implementing the EU's directive on renewable energy.