Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Land degradation, deforestation and desertification – caused by human activities and climate change – pose big challenges to sustainable development and undermine the livelihoods of millions of people.
This SDG has several 2030 targets to which every company can contribute. These targets aim to ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems; halt deforestation, substantially increase reforestation, combat desertification and restore degraded land and soil; ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems and reduce the degradation of natural habitats; halt the loss of biodiversity and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species; take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species; and prevent the introduction of invasive alien species.
Every Future-Fit Business must avoid slowing down progress toward this SDG by:
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Using water in an environmentally responsible and socially equitable way and actively encouraging suppliers to do the same.
This ensures that freshwater resources are used in a sustainable way, to prevent desertification and protect ecosystems.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 02 -
Using natural resources that derive from sources that respect communities, ecosystems and animals.
This ensures that any natural resources the business relies on (e.g. those embedded in its products) are obtained without degrading the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems which contribute to their delivery (e.g ensuring wood-based inputs come from sustainably-managed forests, avoiding the use of bio-based resources which could be harvested from the wild and whose origin cannot be traced).
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 03 -
Procurement of goods and services does not hinder progress.
The environmental and social footprints of a company’s supply chain affect society’s progress towards many of the global challenges that the SDGs seek to address. By taking steps to increase the fitness of its supply chain, the company encourages actions that support the related SDGs.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 04 -
Eliminating operational emissions that harm people or the environment and actively encouraging suppliers to do the same.
This ensures that business operations do not emit harmful substances into air (e.g. chemicals harmful to bees), land (e.g. chemicals which degrade the soil) and water (e.g. effluents released directly into watersheds).
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 05 -
Ensuring operations do not encroach on ecosystems or communities and actively encouraging suppliers to do the same.
This ensures that the physical presence of business operations does not undermine the health of critical ecosystems (e.g. eliminating the conversion of primary forests and wetlands, protecting the environment from invasive alien species.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 08 -
Investing in assets that do not hinder progress.
The environmental and social footprints of a company’s investments affect society’s progress towards many of the global challenges that the SDGs seek to address. By taking steps to increase the fitness of its financial assets, the company encourages actions that support the related SDGs.
Learn more about Break-Even Goal 23
Any Future-Fit Business may actively speed up progress toward this SDG by:
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Ensuring others depend less on inadequately-managed natural resources.
Ensuring terrestrial resources are adequately managed prevents ecosystem degradation and protects future resource availability.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 05 -
Ensuring others generate fewer harmful emissions.
Preventing harmful emissions that end up degrading terrestrial ecosystems increases the health of these ecosystems and halts biodiversity loss.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 08 -
Ensuring harmful emissions are removed from the environment.
Neutralizing the effects of harmful emissions that end up degrading terrestrial ecosystems, increases the health of these ecosystems and halts biodiversity loss.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 09 -
Ensuring others cause less ecosystem degradation.
Preventing the degradation of terrestrial ecosystems protects biodiversity and reduces overconsumption of natural resources.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 12 -
Ensuring ecosystems are restored.
Restoring terrestrial ecosystems protects biodiversity and future resource availability.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 13 -
Ensuring others cause less damage to areas of high social or cultural value.
Preventing land grabbing practices will promote the fair and equitable sharing of genetic resources.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 14 -
Ensuring areas of high social or cultural value are restored.
Returning land which has been acquired in a contentious way will promote the fair and equitable sharing of genetic resources.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 15 -
Ensuring more people have access to economic opportunity.
Ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of productive genetic resources will help protect life on land.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 18 -
Strengthening infrastructure in pursuit of future-fitness.
Developing quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure removes barriers to wellbeing and protects the health of the environment.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 21 -
Strengthening governance in pursuit of future-fitness.
Ensuring governance is accountable, participatory, responsive, responsible and transparent removes barriers to wellbeing and protects the health of the environment.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 22 -
Strengthening market mechanisms in pursuit of future-fitness.
Overcoming technological, knowledge and incentive barriers through the use of market mechanisms removes barriers to wellbeing and protects the health of the environment.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 23 -
Aligning social norms to increasingly support the pursuit of future-fitness.
Ensuring social norms align with socially and environmentally responsible behaviour removes barriers to wellbeing and protects the health of the environment.
Learn more about Positive Pursuit 24
Next steps
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