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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Most recent ITTO contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals
ITTO projects help improve forest fire management in Indonesia and Peru
Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Two ITTO projects are showing how integrated fire management can tackle the threat posed by wildfire to tropical forests and forest-dwelling communities. We put the projects in the spotlight to mark International Firefighters’ Day, which recognizes and honours the sacrifices firefighters make to ensure that their communities are as safe as possible. More
New video shows how communities are implementing sustainable forest management in the Amazon
No poverty Gender equality Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
A video released today shows how an ITTO project is helping communities in the Verde para Sempre Extractive Reserve implement sustainable forest management and thereby ensure the sustainability of the resource and the long-term viability of their forest enterprises. More
New analysis of timber legality assurance systems and good practices in China and Viet Nam released
Responsible production and consumption Climate action
Strengthened legal frameworks in China and Viet Nam are encouraging their timber industries to become more sustainable and creating more efficient ways for importers to verify the legality and sustainability of wood products shipped from these countries, according to reports presented at a webinar co-hosted by ITTO last week. More
Newly launched projects in Sarawak’s Upper Baram will boost local livelihoods and conserve biodiversity
No poverty Climate action Life on land
ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru and Sarawak Forest Department Director Datu Hamden Bin Haji Mohammad signed agreements on 20 March 2023, to initiate two projects aimed at improving the management of the Upper Baram Forest Area as means for improving biodiversity conservation and enhancing local socioeconomic development. More
Forest health and human health closely linked, says ITTO Executive Director
No poverty Good health and well-being Gender equality Clean water and sanitation Responsible production and consumption Life on land
In a statement issued on the International Day of Forests, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru says there is strong evidence for the close relationship between forests and human health and, therefore, sustainable forest management is essential for ensuring the mental and physical health of people. More
Women-to-women digital learning essential for sustainable forestry
No poverty Gender equality Industry, innovation and infrastructure Climate action Life on land
Celebrating International Women’s Day, ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru and ITTO Fellowship awardee and journalist Talía Lostaunau called for stronger commitments to include women in digital and technological advances, hence enabling creative solutions for an equitable future in facing environmental challenges, including by facilitating women-to-women learning. More
Soka Gakkai makes video on ITTO initiative to restore landscapes in Togo by empowering women
Zero hunger Gender equality Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Soka Gakkai, a community-driven global Buddhist organization, has released a video of a field visit to an ITTO initiative in Togo’s Blitta and Lacs prefectures that has increased the financial independence of local women and enabled them to restore degraded landscapes, adopt agroforestry practices and increase food security for their families. More
World Wetlands Day calls for restoration effort—ITTO committed to ongoing contribution
No poverty Climate action Life below water Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Wetlands, often called the “kidneys of the Earth”, are crucial in the fight against climate change, yet they are being degraded and lost at alarming rates. On World Wetlands Day, we highlight ITTO’s work to restore and upscale the sustainable use of tropical wetlands such as mangroves, swamps and marshes. More
First report of Global Timber Index released, launching new era of business information-sharing
Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible production and consumption Partnerships for the goals
Timber production and operations shrunk in November 2022 in Brazil, the Congo, Gabon, Malaysia and Mexico, according to the first Global Timber Index monthly report, released on 8 December 2022. According to the report, factors in the sector’s below-average performance include a global economic contraction, declining international demand, and the rainy season in Africa. More
New guidelines and videos launched on restoring mangroves in Fiji
No poverty Gender equality Climate action Life below water Life on land Partnerships for the goals
A guideline and three videos on mangrove rehabilitation and restoration in Fiji released today are the culmination of an ITTO project that has supported local communities and government in restoring mangroves and wetlands in the Rewa Delta, Fiji’s most important marine ecosystem. More
CITES COP examines agarwood after release of ITTO–CITES report
Responsible production and consumption Life on land Partnerships for the goals
The 19th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), convening on 14–25 November in Panama, is considering a decision related to agarwood-producing species, based on a report released at COP19 by ITTO and CITES. More
Tropical forests vital for combating climate change—ITTO Executive Director delivers message at UN Climate Change
Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
Tropical forests are a valuable carbon reservoir at the core of climate-change adaptation and mitigation and their conservation is crucial for fighting climate change. More
New report calls for better forest education to safeguard natural resources
Quality education Gender equality Decent work and economic growth Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Education is essential for safeguarding natural resources, including forests. This is one of the key messages of a new and comprehensive Global Assessment of Forest Education, a joint report released at the 26th Session of the Committee on Forestry by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and ITTO. More
Celebrating World Tourism Day—the potential of ecotourism in tropical forests to assist pandemic recovery
No poverty Decent work and economic growth Climate action Life on land
With their stunning beauty, immense biodiversity and cultural importance, sustainably managed tropical forests have huge potential for low-impact locally based ecotourism. In celebration of World Tourism Day, we describe some of ITTO’s work to encourage ecotourism ventures in local communities. More
ITTO launches new book on teak in the Mekong
Decent work and economic growth Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
A report written by teak experts recently released by ITTO presents best practices for planting, managing, harvesting and processing teak in the Mekong Subregion and demonstrating legality and sustainability along supply chains. An outcome of an ITTO project, the book will be essential reading for policymakers and practitioners involved in teak supply chains. More
New policy brief launched on evaluation of ITTO projects in Africa
No poverty Zero hunger Quality education Gender equality Clean water and sanitation Decent work and economic growth Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
An evaluation of ten ITTO projects in West and Central Africa established that the projects had “important positive impacts on forests, forest management and local communities” in the countries in which they were implemented, reports a policy brief published by ITTO this week. More
Celebrating International Youth Day—and working to ensure the future of tropical forests
Quality education Gender equality Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
This year’s theme of International Youth Day, Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages, stresses the importance of leveraging the potential of all generations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Young people are the future custodians of tropical forests; ITTO is investing in them in diverse ways, including through its Fellowship Programme. More
Celebrating International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples—tropical forest custodians
No poverty Gender equality Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
ITTO reiterates its commitment to fully recognizing and supporting the ownership, control, customary rights and role of local communities and Indigenous Peoples on forest land and resources. More
New training modules available on legal and sustainable timber supply chains in Congo Basin
Quality education Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
ITTO has released four training modules on legal and sustainable tropical timber supply chains in the Congo Basin aimed at expanding market access for tropical timber produced in the subregion and increasing the contributions of the sector to sustainable development, climate-change mitigation and other regional objectives. More
Sustainable forestry can provide vital nature-based solutions to crises
No poverty Zero hunger Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible production and consumption Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Sustainable forestry can provide cost-effective solutions to the triple global crises on climate, biodiversity loss and pollution, all of which have been aggravated by recent armed conflicts, according to speakers at a side-event held earlier this month that fed into the 2022 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. More