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: Independent Market Monitor
The increased consumption of sustainable wood products can provide many economic, social and environmental benefits. ITTO is addressing responsible consumption and production by, for example, helping:
- Private-sector companies adopt legal and sustainable supply and production systems.
- Build capacities among small and medium-sized enterprises to better understand and conform with the regulations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
- Develop national timber-tracking systems to ensure legality.
- Monitor the implementation of timber legality assurance schemes and the development of forest certification.
- Increase transparency in the tropical timber trade, including through the Tropical Timber Market Report (published every two weeks) and the Biennial Review and Assessment of the World Timber Situation.
Related ITTO contributions for the selected Sustainable Development Goal(s)
(37 results found)
ITTO releases latest report on world timber situation, showing surge in furniture exports
Responsible production and consumption Life on land
28 September 2023: A major new analysis of global timber sector trends has found that exports by ITTO producer countries of secondary processed wood products have soared, reaching a value of USD 36.5 billion in 2022, up by nearly 40% compared with 2020 (USD 26 billion). A large part of this trade (USD 12 billion) comprised wooden furniture exported from Viet Nam to the United States of America.
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Making the link between sustainable forest management and cleaner air
No poverty Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
Tropical forests are known as nature’s purifiers, but the increasing incidence of forest wildfire and other stressors worldwide is putting this reputation at risk. In marking the International Day of Clean for Blue Skies, we highlight the importance of sustainable forest management in the tropics for maintaining clean air. More
ITTO encourages sustainable wood use at meeting of APEC Expert Group
Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
ITTO updated the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Expert Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT) on its work to promote sustainable wood use in domestic markets of member economies at the 24th plenary meeting of APEC EGILAT in late July. More
New video shows how sustainable forestry works
Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Yokohama, Japan, 24 July 2023: A one-minute animation produced as part of an ITTO project in Brazil provides a simple explanation of forest management and how it is helping make timber production more sustainable in the Amazon. “Everyone wins from the sustainable use of forests,” says the video.
The video also introduces ITTO project PD 452/07 Rev. 5 (F) “Sustainable More
The video also introduces ITTO project PD 452/07 Rev. 5 (F) “Sustainable More
Side-event hosted by ITTO and Teaknet examines challenges and opportunities for boosting teak value
Affordable and clean energy Decent work and economic growth Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
A side-event convened jointly by ITTO and the International Teak Information Network (Teaknet) during the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Forest Products Conference in Cairns, Australia, on 4–8 June 2023, explored means for boosting the value of teakwood products. More
ITTO project releases app for calculating timber volumes in products using smartphones
Industry, innovation and infrastructure Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
Software for smartphones developed by Guatemala’s National Forest Institute (INAB) under an ITTO project can be used to calculate log volumes requiring only photographs and a few simple measurements. The app also enables the scaling of logs for products such as sawnwood, rectangular boards, round billets, sawdust, chips, fuelwood, wood pieces and charcoal. 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
Yokohama, Japan, 22 April 2023: 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.
Project PD 452/07 Rev. 5 (F) “Sustainable management of production forests at the More
Project PD 452/07 Rev. 5 (F) “Sustainable management of production forests at the 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
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
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
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
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
Celebrating the International Day of the Tropics—the critical importance of tropical forests
No poverty Quality education Decent work and economic growth Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
The tropics are home to extraordinary forests with the largest and most complex biological and cultural diversity while functioning as huge carbon stores. In celebration of the International Day of the Tropics, we describe some of ITTO’s work in three vital and vast tropical forest ecosystems—the Amazon, the Congo Basin and Southeast Asia. More