Goal 15: Life on Land

Earth’s ecosystems are vital for sustaining human life. They contribute to more than half of global GDP and embody diverse cultural, spiritual, and economic values. However, we are currently facing a triple crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

Forests cover 31.8% of Earth’s land today, but from 2000 to 2020, we lost about 100 million hectares of forest cover. In addition, between 2015 and 2019, the global proportion of degraded land rose from 11.3% to 15.5%, undermining the well-being of 3.2 billion people.

Agricultural expansion is the direct driver of nearly 90% of deforestation, which links back directly to our food systems. For example, harvesting oil palm alone accounted for 7% of global deforestation between 2000 and 2018. Although deforestation is slowing—with the annual rate falling from 12 million hectares between 2010 and 2015 to 10 million between 2015 and 2020—at this current pace, completely halting forest loss as Goal 15 demands will take another 25 years.

Global and regional efforts to sustain forest ecosystems and their social, economic, and environmental functions are essential, particularly for developing nations and tropical regions. To achieve Goal 15, we must fundamentally shift humanity’s relationship with nature and realize that the natural world is the root of our very existence. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework provides renewed energy for Goal 15, outlining four outcome-oriented goals for 2050 and 23 clear targets to hit by 2030.

Why should we care?

Forests are home to more than 80% of all land-based species of animals, plants, and insects. However, biodiversity is declining faster than at any other point in human history.

Globally, one-fifth of the Earth’s land area is degraded—an area nearly the size of India and Russia combined. While land degradation drives species to extinction and intensifies climate change, healthy biodiversity and ecosystems can actually serve as powerful tools for climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, helping communities become far more resilient.

What does loss of forests mean?

Losing our forests means the disappearance of livelihoods in rural communities, increased carbon emissions, diminished biodiversity, and worsening land degradation. While forest loss remains high, data shows that the proportion of forests in protected areas or under long-term management plans has stabilized or increased globally and in most regions.

One of the most irreversible impacts of human activity is species extinction, which upsets the balance of nature and leaves ecosystems fragile and vulnerable to disruptions. Catalyzed by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, countries are strengthening their environmental laws, with 155 countries establishing national biodiversity targets by 2025. Still, more than 48,600 species face extinction today, and the global extinction risk continues to worsen.

How does it affect our health?

A rising demand for animal protein, unsustainable farming practices, the exploitation of wildlife, and the climate crisis are all driving the emergence of zoonotic diseases—illnesses that jump from wildlife to humans, like COVID-19.

Every year, nearly two million people, primarily in low- and middle-income countries, die from neglected zoonotic diseases. These outbreaks also cause severe illness and productivity losses among livestock in developing regions, creating a devastating cycle that keeps hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers trapped in poverty. In the last two decades alone, zoonotic diseases have caused over $100 billion in economic losses, even before counting the monumental costs of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What can we do?

You can make a difference by recycling, eating a sustainably sourced, locally based diet, and consuming only what you need. It is also important to respect wildlife by only participating in responsible, ethical ecotourism opportunities that avoid disrupting animals in their natural habitats.

Because well-managed, protected areas support healthy ecosystems that ultimately keep people healthy, we must ensure local communities are actively involved in developing and managing these conservation zones.