The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, agreed by the 193 States Members of the United Nations, sets out an ambitious framework of universal and indivisible goals and targets to address a range of global societal challenges.
Biodiversity and ecosystem services contribute directly to human well-being and development priorities. Nearly half of the world’s population is directly dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods. Today, some 2.6 billion people draw their livelihoods either partially or fully from agriculture, 1.6 billion from forests, and 250 million from fisheries. Many of the most vulnerable people depend directly on biodiversity to fulfil their daily subsistence needs. Biodiversity is also at the centre of many economic activities, including those related to agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism. The importance of biodiversity and ecosystems is reflected in many of the SDGs and targets. Therefore, consideration of biodiversity and ecosystems will be essential as countries embark on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, and in the implementation of key national priorities for sustainable development.
This short document provides illustrative examples of how biodiversity can play an essential role in efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Details on the linkages between biodiversity and each of the SDGs are contained in the “Technical Note on Biodiversity and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.