Sustainable Development Goals
Main SDG introduction
World leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a historic UN conference in September 2015. The SDGs call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet, thereby recognizing that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies to build economic growth, address social needs, tackle climate change and ensure environmental sustainability.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the sustainable management of productive forests in the tropics, and a sustainable tropical timber trade, can help in meeting future wood demand and achieving the SDGs. ITTO is empowered to promote the expansion of international tropical timber trade from legal and sustainable sources. It is perfectly placed, therefore, to assist countries in their efforts towards all the SDGs, especially SDG 1 (“No poverty”), SDG 12 (“Responsible consumption and production”), SDG 13 (“Climate action”) and SDG 15 (“Life on land”). Some of the ways it is doing this are outlined below.
Select one or multiple SDGs below to see ITTO’s contributions towards achieving them.
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Photo: R. Carrillo/ITTO
ITTO promotes sustainable tropical forest management by:
- Building sustainable forest management capacity in tropical countries through the implementation of field projects.
- Providing a forum for policy dialogue on conserving and sustainably managing, using and trading tropical forest resources.
- Developing policy guidelines on sustainable forest management, forest conservation and the restoration of degraded tropical forests for uptake by countries.
- Working with partners in government, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, civil society and the private sector to improve forest management, conserve biodiversity and improve local livelihoods.
- Strengthening expertise in tropical forestry through its Fellowship Programme, which has enabled about 1400 young forestry professionals to increase their skills.
- Jointly implementing projects with the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to conserve biodiversity in productive forests.
Related ITTO contributions for the selected Sustainable Development Goal(s)
(102 results found)
Smallholders need more support to grow high-quality teak—ITTO project to lead the way
No poverty Decent work and economic growth Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Participants in a regional workshop held in Thailand last month as part of an ITTO project advocated the provision of viable financial schemes to smallholders to support their efforts to cultivate teak and other economically useful tree species and sustainably produce high-quality timber on long rotations. The workshop also discussed how the ITTO project will assist in this endeavour. More
Global timber forum launches action framework for legal and sustainable timber supply chains
No poverty Quality education Gender equality Decent work and economic growth Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
The Global Legal and Sustainable Timber Forum (GLSTF) has launched the Action Framework for Promoting Legal and Sustainable Timber Supply Chains to strengthen international collaboration among stakeholders in timber supply chains, promote the sustainable development of the timber industry, and contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals and combating climate change. More
At APEC forum, ITTO calls for more investment in traceability innovation to support sustainable use
Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
There is no shortage of inventiveness in timber traceability, but more investment and incentives are needed to further develop these innovations, facilitate their uptake in the timber sector, and ensure that such systems are financially self-sustaining, an ITTO officer has told Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)’s illegal logging expert group, known as EGILAT. More
International Youth Day: how ITTO is tapping the energy and skills of young people to further sustainable tropical forestry
Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible production and consumption Life on land
The 2024 theme for International Youth Day, celebrated every year on this date, is "From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development", highlighting how young minds are harnessing technology to create sustainable solutions to our world's most pressing challenges. More
ITTO-supported drive for sustainable teak in focus at IUFRO congress
No poverty Responsible production and consumption Life on land Partnerships for the goals
ITTO officials and partners provided updates on trends and developments for sustainable teak during a session on day five of the 2024 World Congress of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), held in Stockholm, Sweden last week. More
ITTO video highlights community forestry success in the Amazon to mark International Day of the Tropics
No poverty Gender equality Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
A new video on community forestry in the Amazon highlights how sustainable forest management (SFM) underpins the livelihoods and aspirations of millions of people in tropical countries, as the world marks the International Day of the Tropics. More
ITTO acknowledges vital contributions of women to policy development on sustainable forestry
Gender equality Life on land
ITTO is marking International Day for Women in Diplomacy by recognizing the indispensable role and impactful contributions of women in advancing sustainable forestry in the tropics and by honouring these women and their invaluable efforts in shaping international policies and practices. More
ITTO and UNCCD unite for land restoration to mark world day against desertification and drought
No poverty Good health and well-being Gender equality Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
On World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, ITTO stands side-by-side with the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and all governments and stakeholders committed to restoring degraded landscapes and sustainably managing tropical forests as means for ensuring ecosystem health and the wellbeing of local people, communities and nations. More
Capacity building needed urgently in Africa to avoid detrimental impacts of timber trade measures
No poverty Decent work and economic growth Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
ITTO has urged more attention to the need for capacity building and training in the Congo Basin to ensure that the region’s vital forest sector and timber industry will be able to meet the requirements of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and other international trade measures. More
ITTO highlights commitment to “Generation Restoration” on World Environment Day
Good health and well-being Gender equality Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
ITTO proudly joins the global community in celebrating World Environment Day, recognizing that this year’s theme, “Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration”, both underscores the crucial need to restore land for a sustainable future and aligns perfectly with ITTO’s mission and ongoing work. More
ITTO to revise fire management guidelines, Executive Director tells Fire Hub meeting
Good health and well-being Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
ITTO is revising its guidelines on fire management in tropical forests to incorporate new knowledge and to respond to the increasing risk of tropical forest fire due to climate change and pressures from land-use change and encroachment, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru told participants at a meeting at FAO headquarters this week. More
Producers and consumers must share the cost of SFM, says Executive Director
Decent work and economic growth Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
Sustainable production of wood and forest products must be balanced with sustainable consumption to enable countries to meet the cost of sustainable forest management (SFM) in the tropics, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru told participants in a side-event during the 19th Session of the UN Forum on Forests. More
Executive Director calls for more support for tropical countries on forest fire management
Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Fire looms as an increasing threat to tropical forests and has become a universal problem, and countries need financial and political support to implement integrated fire management, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru told at a side-event during the 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests, which is taking place this week at UN headquarters in New York. More
ITTO backs call to “restore the planet” in support of Mother Earth
No poverty Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
Forest landscape restoration is essential for ensuring that tropical forests can perform their crucial planetary roles, said ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru to mark International Mother Earth Day, which celebrates the concept of Mother Earth and the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and the planet. More
Sustainable tropical wood can contribute to decarbonize societies, Executive Director tells policy dialogue
Affordable and clean energy Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru asserted at an international event that there are several opportunities to continue working with countries to further develop sustainable wood supply chains in the tropics as means for achieving society-wide carbon neutrality. More
Invest more in women to accelerate progress on sustainable forestry, says ITTO Executive Director
Gender equality Industry, innovation and infrastructure Life on land
Despite increasing recognition of the vital role of women in sustainable forestry, more investment is needed in the sector to fully realize their potential and to achieve gender equality, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru said on International Women’s Day. More
ITTO promotes use of criteria and indicators in Trinidad and Tobago
Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Nearly 30 participants attended an ITTO-sponsored national training workshop on criteria and indicators for sustainable tropical forest management (C&I), held last week in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The aim was to provide forest managers with insights into the C&I to assist in monitoring, assessing and reporting on forests and ensuring their sustainable management. More
ITTO Executive Director lauds strong partnership with CITES on World Wildlife Day
Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible production and consumption Life on land Partnerships for the goals
On the occasion of World Wildlife Day 2024, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru asserted the critical need for the conservation of threatened tropical tree species and highlighted the strong collaborative partnership between ITTO and CITES in her message to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). More
ITTO–CITES cooperation on tree species listings should continue, says Executive Director
Responsible production and consumption Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Cooperation between ITTO and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has greatly assisted countries in implementing CITES listings of tropical tree species and should be continued, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru said during the 6th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly. More
ITTO and UN Convention to Combat Desertification strengthen cooperation on tropical forests
No poverty Decent work and economic growth Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
The overall objective of the new MOU is to support ITTO member countries and Country Parties to the UNCCD in restoring and maintaining tropical forest landscapes while promoting the sustainable production of timber and other products and ecosystem services. More