SDG 15: Life on Land

Goal 15 aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

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Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
8th
in the world for SDG 15

UNSW achieved the ranking in the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

Nature positive

UNSW has taken the Nature Positive Pledge to set specific, measurable targets for biodiversity on campus and in supply chains.

In this video, Professor Tracey Rogers from the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, breaks down some of the key challenges behind SDG #15.

Wild Deserts: restoring the desert ecosystem

UNSW ecologists Dr Bec West and Dr Reece Pedler work in Sturt National Park on the Wild Deserts project, working to restore the desert ecosystem by reintroducing locally extinct or endangered native mammals, like bilbies and bandicoots, back into the outback.

Restoring the ecosystem also involves controlling invasive species, managing kangaroo populations and removing feral species. Large fenced enclosures, a ‘Wild Training Zone’ and a range of innovative predator control and research techniques are used to achieve this. 

In 2023, 430 donors from across the UNSW community provided vital funds through the University’s end-of-year appeal to support the Wild Deserts team, helping bring wildlife back to fragile desert ecosystems. There are also volunteering opportunities at the Wild Deserts site. 

Wild Deserts is a partnership between UNSW Sydney, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Ecological Horizons, in collaboration with Taronga Conservation Society Australia, supported by UNSW and philanthropic funding. 

Centres, institutes and partnerships 

UNSW Centre for Ecosystem Science

The Centre for Ecosystem Science has a diverse range of scientific expertise in terrestrial ecology, wetlands, marine ecosystems, geographic information systems, remote sensing and the use of conservation tools

UNSW Evolution and Ecology Research Centre

Established in 2007, the Centre's purpose is to build capacity for and quality of research, including postgraduate research and supervision.

UNSW Australian Centre for Astrobiology

Astrobiology is a relatively new field of study, developing at the crossroads of astronomy, biology, geology, paleontology, physics and chemistry.

Rewilding to save species

Australia has lost many native species over the past hundred years, earning the undesirable title of ‘extinction central’. This panel discussed how rewilding and breaking from traditional conservation approaches can help save fragile species and ecosystems. 

Fowlers Gap Research Station

UNSW is restoring Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station in outback New South Wales as a dedicated conservation site, after 150 years of agricultural use.

The Station is an active participant in the research and development of ecotourism in Outback NSW and wildlife tourism Australia-wide.

Environment Recovery Project: Australian Bushfires 

Over 46,000,000 acres burnt in the 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season in eastern Australia, including South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Understanding how the environment recovers from this unprecedented fire season is an important scientific goal.

Sustainability initiatives on campus

UNSW Producers

This volunteer-based group works to promote sustainability on campus. It is dedicated to planting, maintaining and harvesting veggies on campus, including the community-run Urban Garden and has also run Bee Hotel workshops which gave community members the opportunity to learn about how to support bee populations in the local ecosystem and the benefits of bee hotels, in aid of biodiversity and sustainability. 

Planting 1200+ trees

MBA and PhD students from the UNSW Business School volunteered their time to help the UNSW Landscaping team plant more than 1200 plants on campus. The event created an opportunity for students to contribute to a healthier campus and the SDGs.

Native bees on campus

UNSW installed a hive of 5000 stingless bees at its Paddington campus to ensure bees keep up their important pollination work in the area. Students and staff had planted native flower gardens in the years preceding the installation, so that the bees have access to an adequate food supply. 

UNSW Sustainability Plan 2022-24

UNSW’s plan includes a target for a net gain in biodiversity on campus using the broad definition of natural value to account for where species live. Five measures were used to track nature value, incentivising project teams to prioritise nature in campus planning and activities.

Nature positive

UNSW has taken the Nature Positive Pledge to set specific, measurable targets for biodiversity on campus and in supply chains.

Tracking nature value

Nature positive campus planning using a new methodology to track nature value at UNSW’s main campus.

World first
Global Typology of Ecosystems

UNSW launched the world’s first comprehensive system for classifying and mapping all ecosystems, in partnership with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Nature Positive Universities

UNSW Sustainable Development Goals 2023 Report

This report outlines UNSW's performance against the SDGs in 2023.

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Goal #16

Peace, justice and strong institutions
Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. 

Goal #17

Partnerships for the goals
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Goal #1

No poverty
End poverty in all its forms everywhere.