Goal 15: Life on Land
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Humans depend on earth and the ocean to live. Goal 15 focuses on protecting terrestrial ecosystems, managing forests sustainability and maintaining the natural land environment in order to restore natural ecosystems and halt biodiversity loss. It aims at securing sustainable livelihoods that will be enjoyed for generations to come.
According to the UN, between 2015 and 2020, 10 million of hectares of forests were destroyed per year, mostly for agricultural purposes, particularly in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and South-Eastern Asia. In addition, '2 billion hectares of land on earth is now degraded and 31,000 species are threatened with extinction'.
The UN says that: 'globally, the species extinction risk has worsened by about 10 per cent over the past three decades, with the Red List Index (which measures the risk of extinction, whereby a value of 1 indicates no threat of extinction and a value of 0 indicates that all species are extinct) declining, from 0.82 in 1990 to 0.75 in 2015 to 0.73 in 2020'.
Australia's Progress towards Goal 15
The Transforming Australia: SDG Progress Report provides key information about how Australia is progressing towards achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Visit the Transforming Australia website to see Australia's progress towards Goal 15.
Do you want to know how to achieve the SDGs?
MSDI has partnered with McMaster University to create the world's most comprehensive repository of research evidence. Click here for the latest evidence and research from around the world aligned with Goal 15.
How is Monash helping to protect life on land?
ClimateWorks Australia: Land Use
The world faces an enormous challenge to sustainably provide healthy food for a growing population, while also addressing and adapting to climate change. ClimateWorks Australia is asking the question: can we produce enough food for a growing population, while safeguarding our environment and supporting a transition to net zero emissions?
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