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: In Way
Tropical forest degradation is contributing more to climate change than previously thought. On the other hand, sustainably produced wood is a renewable substitute for many carbon-intensive materials. Sustainably managed tropical forests, and their associated sustainable supply chains, therefore, can be a cornerstone of efforts to combat climate change and develop a more circular economy.
Through projects and policy development, ITTO is helping stakeholders take the following steps to make this a reality:
Through projects and policy development, ITTO is helping stakeholders take the following steps to make this a reality:
- Protect high-conservation-value forests for their ecosystem services.
- Restore degraded forest landscapes for productive uses.
- Increase the capacity of tropical forests to adapt to climate change.
- Improve fire management.
- Manage and use existing productive forests to increase carbon sequestration and avoid deforestation and degradation.
- Promote trade through legal and sustainable supply chains.
Related ITTO contributions for the selected Sustainable Development Goal(s)
(53 results found)
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
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
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
Indonesia launches new app on forest fire with ITTO support
Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
A new app developed with ITTO assistance has been launched in Indonesia to assist fire brigades in preventing and suppressing wildfires. Forest wildfire is a major threat to human safety, infrastructure and ecosystems in many parts of Indonesia, and the app will assist in its control by increasing the availability of real-time information for firefighters. 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
Fighting back against desertification and drought
No poverty Climate action Life on land
Women in Togo and communities in Papua New Guinea and Peru are restoring degraded drylands and helping drought-proof communities with assistance from ITTO. We highlight this work to promote the important messages of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. More
Peru’s private sector proposes forest-sector reforms
No poverty Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Peru’s Forestry Chamber has released a new publication, developed with ITTO support, that takes stock of recent developments in the country’s legal framework and makes proposals to modernize the forest sector and increase its capacity to meet current and future challenges. More
Singing from the treetops on World Environment Day—local people can create renewable resources
No poverty Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land
An ITTO project in Sulawesi, Indonesia, has increased awareness among farmers of the benefits of a sustainable wood supply using planted native trees. It’s a functioning example of ITTO’s approach to tropical forest conservation and sustainable use aimed at producing positive outcomes for people and the environment, presented here to celebrate World Environment Day. More
Recognizing the importance of sustainable tropical forestry on International Day for Biological Diversity
Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
Biodiversity is under threat, with a million species facing extinction. On the International Day for Biological Diversity, it has never been more urgent to enhance the essential role of sustainable forest management (SFM) in safeguarding our precious biota. Read on to learn more about the role ITTO is playing in this essential endeavour in the tropics. More
ITTO Executive Director calls for positive messaging on timber
No poverty Responsible production and consumption Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru has suggested that international organizations, governments and other stakeholders jointly promote the message that “harvesting timber sustainably is not deforestation” to overcome public misconceptions about the role of the timber trade in tropical deforestation. More
Improved tropical forest fire management essential for mitigating climate change
Climate action Life on land
Awareness-raising, early-warning systems and the involvement of local stakeholders are all necessary elements of tropical forest fire management and the fight against climate change, according to participants at an event co-hosted by ITTO at the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. More
ITTO and IUFRO release learning modules to encourage forest landscape restoration
Quality education Sustainable cities and communities Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
ITTO and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) have released a free series of learning modules for high-school and university students to guide further understanding on forest landscape restoration (FLR). More
Togolese women are becoming restoration leaders, with ITTO and Soka Gakkai support
No poverty Zero hunger Gender equality Decent work and economic growth Climate action Life on land Partnerships for the goals
An ITTO project financed by Soka Gakkai* to support forest landscape restoration is changing the lives of women in two prefectures in Togo as they benefit from improved agroforestry practices, according to a report in Japan’s Seikyo newspaper. More