The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, set out by the United Nations, were agreed upon by 193 countries, in 2015. The overall intent is to make human prosperity work in parallel with the protection of the planet and to propose a global action plan for the coming years.
There are 3 principles behind the SDGs:
- they are universal, applying to every country,
- they integrate all the dimensions of sustainability (economic development, social progress and environmental protection)
- they aim to leave no one behind (no goal should be considered as achieved if it is not achieved for all, including the most vulnerable and hardest to reach).
They are "a global call to action to eradicate poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all human beings live in peace and prosperity".
Here is a list of them:
- No poverty
- Zero hunger
- Good health and well-being
- Quality education
- Gender equality
- Clean water and sanitation
- Affordable and clean energy
- Decent work and economic growth
- Industry, innovation and infrastructure
- Reduced inequalities
- Sustainable cities and communities
- Responsible consumption and production
- Climate action
- Life below water
- Life on land
- Peace, justice and strong institutions
- Partnership for the goals
Treedom's tree planting activities in Asia, Africa, South America and Italy contribute to the pursuit of 10 of these goals:
No poverty: the fruits generated by the trees belong to the farmers who can sell them and generate extra income for their families.
Zero hunger: the fruits belong to the farmers who can use them to enrich their diets. In addition, agroforestry systems provide a wider variety of products than monoculture (e.g. corn), this approach aims to improve the quantity of food and the quality of nutrients in the diets of farmers and rural communities.
4. Quality education: Treedom provides training, education on environmental issues, sustainable development, agroforestry techniques and specific skills.
5. Gender equality: Treedom promotes the participation of men and women, equally, in all phases of project development.
8. Decent work and economic growth: Treedom supports local farmers and cooperatives in their activities; this allows them to increase their income and quality of life.
10. Reduced inequalities: Treedom involves local communities both as final beneficiaries and as local managers and technicians. This approach brings economic wealth, training and job opportunities to all in often less developed areas. In addition, Treedom's projects are open to all regardless of gender, age, level of education and social status. Finally, the financing of tree planting activities by cooperatives of small farmers or local NGOs works against existing prejudices.
12. Responsible consumption and production: Treedom encourages consumers and companies to buy trees by buying a virtual product that has a real benefit for rural communities, promoting sustainable consumption patterns. At the same time, it encourages small local farmers to apply more sustainable agroforestry systems.
13. Climate action: Treedom has currently planted more than 2 million trees capable of absorbing over 500,000 tons of CO2 in their lifetime.
Find out more about how Treedom works for the SDGs in these videos.
Useful links
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment
