Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG 15 or Global Goal 15) focuses on "Life on land." It is one of 17 goals created by the United Nations in 2015. The official goal states: "Protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of land ecosystems; manage forests in a way that keeps them healthy; stop desertification; and stop land from becoming worse and protect plant and animal life." This goal has 12 targets to reach by 2030. Progress will be measured using 14 indicators.

The nine outcome targets include: preserving and restoring land and freshwater ecosystems; stopping deforestation and rebuilding damaged forests; stopping desertification and restoring degraded land; protecting mountain ecosystems, wildlife, and their homes; ensuring fair sharing of benefits from genetic resources; stopping the hunting and trading of protected animals; preventing harmful plants and animals from spreading to land and water areas; and including nature and wildlife protection in government plans. The three means of implementation targets include: providing more money to protect ecosystems and wildlife; funding and encouraging better forest management; and stopping illegal hunting and trading worldwide.

Each year, the United Nations Secretary-General creates a report to check progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. This report includes information about changes in forest areas, desertification, loss of plant and animal life, and other factors important to SDG 15.

Targets, indicators and progress

The United Nations (UN) has set 12 targets and 14 indicators for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15. Five of these targets are to be achieved by 2020, two by 2030, and the rest do not have a specific target year. Each target has one or more indicators to measure progress. There are 14 indicators in total for SDG 15. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is responsible for three of these indicators: those related to targets 15.1, 15.2, and 15.4.

Target 15.1: "By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements." This target has two indicators:
– Indicator 15.1.1: Forest area as a proportion of the total land area.
– Indicator 15.1.2: Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type.

Forests cover about 4 billion hectares, or 30.7% of the world’s land area. Of these, 93% are natural forests, and 7% are planted. Forest area includes land with natural or planted trees that are at least 5 meters tall and growing in their natural place. This definition excludes fruit plantations, agroforestry systems, and trees in urban parks and gardens. Protected areas are measured using three indicators:
1. The proportion of total terrestrial area classified as protected.
2. The proportion of important sites of terrestrial biodiversity that are protected.
3. The proportion of important sites of freshwater biodiversity that are protected.

Target 15.2: "By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally." This target has one indicator:
– Indicator 15.2.1: Progress toward sustainable forest management.

Sustainable forest management means maintaining and improving the economic, social, and environmental values of forests for current and future generations. It balances the need for forest products with the need to protect forest health and diversity. Indicator 15.2.1 includes five sub-indicators that measure progress in all areas of sustainable forest management.

Target 15.3: "By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world." This target has one indicator:
– Indicator 15.3.1: Proportion of land that is degraded over the total land area.

Desertification affects about one-sixth of the world’s population, 70% of drylands, and one-quarter of the world’s total land area. It also causes poverty and degrades billions of hectares of cropland.

Target 15.4: "By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, to enhance their capacity to provide benefits essential for sustainable development." This target has two indicators:
– Indicator 15.4.1: Coverage by protected areas of important sites for mountain biodiversity.
– Indicator 15.4.2: Mountain Green Cover Index.

The Mountain Green Cover Index measures the percentage of mountain environments covered by green areas and their ability to support ecosystem functions. In 2017, 76% of the world’s mountain areas were covered by green vegetation, such as forests, shrubs, grasslands, and croplands. The lowest coverage was in Western Asia and Northern Africa (60%), and the highest was in Oceania (96%).

Target 15.5: "Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species." This target has one indicator:
– Indicator 15.5.1: Red List Index.

A 2018 report stated that biodiversity must be included in planning across all sectors.

Target 15.6: "Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed." This target has one indicator:
– Indicator 15.6.1: Number of countries that have adopted legislative, administrative, and policy frameworks to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits.

This indicator tracks countries’ participation in agreements related to genetic resources for plants, food, and agriculture.

Target 15.7: "Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products." This target has one indicator:
– Indicator 15.7.1: Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked.

Policies that encourage sustainable use of wildlife often help populations more quickly than banning trade entirely. No data is available for this indicator yet.

Target 15.8: "By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species." This target has one indicator:
– Indicator 15.8.1: Proportion of countries adopting relevant national legislation and adequately resourcing the prevention or control of invasive alien species.

Wildlife poaching and trafficking harm biodiversity, ecosystems, and local communities. These activities are often linked to organized crime and weak governance.

Target 15.9: "By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies, and accounts." This target has one indicator:
– Indicator 15.9.1: Progress toward national targets established in accordance with Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020.

Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 focuses on addressing the causes of biodiversity loss.

Target 15.a: "Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems." This target has one indicator:
– Indicator 15.a.1: Official development assistance and public expenditure on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems.

Target 15.b: "Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation." This target has one indicator:
– Indicator 15.b.1: Official development assistance and public expenditure on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems.

This target aims to raise funds at all levels to support sustainable forest management. The United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030 provides a global framework for managing forests and stopping deforestation and degradation.

Target 15.c: "Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities."

Custodian agencies

The custodian agencies are in charge of collecting and reporting data about the indicators. They are:

• Indicator 15.1.1, 15.2.1, and 15.4.2: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
• Indicator 15.1.2: United Nations Environmental Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC) and United Nations Environmental Programme
• Indicator 15.3.1 and 15.4.1: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
• Indicator 15.5.1 and 15.8.1: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• Indicator 15.6.1: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-Secretariat)
• Indicator 15.7.1 and 15.c.1: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES)
• Indicator 15.9.1: Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-Secretariat) and United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
• Indicator 15.a.1, 15.6.1, and 15.b.1: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), and World Bank (WB)

Monitoring and progress

An annual report is created by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to assess how much progress has been made toward the Sustainable Development Goals. A meeting of experts held to prepare for the 2018 High-level Political Forum said SDG 15 requires more data on topics like how well forests are preserved, how well protected areas are managed, and including biodiversity in other activities in a significant way.

Challenges

As of 2023, there is a money gap of about $700 billion to help low-income countries protect biodiversity. In 2020, some progress was made on goals 12 to 15, which focus on using resources wisely, protecting the environment, and fighting climate change. However, these improvements were lost after restrictions ended. For example, carbon dioxide emissions in large countries dropped during lockdowns but returned to normal levels after restrictions were lifted. It is estimated that deforestation increased by 12% from 2019 to 2020. Plastic use and waste may also have increased during the pandemic.

Links with other SDGs

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations are connected to each other. Most goals can only be reached if other goals are also achieved. Progress on one goal often helps progress on other goals.

SDG 15, which focuses on protecting ecosystems and biodiversity, has a strong connection to SDG 5, which promotes gender equality. In many regions, women are farmers, especially in rural areas. They often work in agriculture and rely on forests for fuel, food, and materials. However, when women have limited rights to own land, it makes it harder for them to manage resources or recover from losses. Protecting biodiversity helps keep farming productive, which supports gender equality. When forests improve and regrow, women may gain more influence in their communities.

SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) depend on the health of ecosystems, particularly forests. Natural ecosystems, such as wetlands and forests, help clean and store water. These systems act as natural filters, removing harmful substances and protecting water from diseases that affect people and animals.

SDG 15 is also linked to SDG 8, which aims for decent work and economic growth. Healthy ecosystems, such as forests and diverse environments, support high-yield farming and attract tourists. This can increase income and economic opportunities in local areas.

Protecting biodiversity helps reduce the effects of climate change and helps communities adapt to it. For example, mangrove forests store about 1% of the carbon in the world’s forests but about 14% of the carbon in the world’s oceans. Damaging mangrove habitats can lead to large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Activities like farming, building on land, and expanding cities affect ecosystems, showing how closely SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water), and SDG 15 (life on land) are connected. Managing these goals together is essential for success.