Definition

A set of 17 goals that build on the Millennium Development Goals and form one of the main outcomes of the Rio +20 Conference. The Sustainable Development Goals sit at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015, and provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.

SDG 14 and SDG 15 have specific relevance to biodiversity:

• Life Below Water (SDG 14): Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
• Life on Land (SDG 15): Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development (2014) ¹