Goal 17 – Partnerships for the Goals

Sustainable Development Goal 17 is the last of the SDGs and the most important, as it underpins the success of all the other goals.In full, Goal 17 aims to “strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development”: basically, to ensure collective and collaborative action in the implementation of all of the other SDGs.

This emphasis on ‘partnership’ is fundamental to the success of international organisations such as the UN: without everyone buying in, cooperating and helping each other out, none of the SDGs or any joint international initiatives are possible.The negative effects of climate change are not stopped by international borders.In order to build a sustainable future, we must actively share knowledge and ideas across regional, national and international boundaries.We need to promote greater access to science, technology and innovation within developing countries and support those countries to achieve financial sustainability and environmental security.This is a global fight: one which calls for policy coordination and coherence, empathy and generosity of spirit.At ForestNation, we believe that tree-planting represents one of the most hopeful avenues to strengthen partnerships across the globe. Here’s why…

How Trees Can Help

Planting trees is so much more than the act of placing a sapling into the soil.Despite the great disparity in global carbon emissions between the poorest and richest nations, the uncomfortable truth is that it is poorer, rural communities who are most severely affected by man-made climate change and it is those communities that benefit most directly from tree planting projects.Sustainable tree planting supports the needs of the local communities in which the trees are planted, providing opportunities for both work and education.Where in the past the ability of local communities to make money from forests was often limited to logging and deforestation for livestock, there are increasing numbers of social enterprises focusing on shifting the perception of conservation work as a loss-making business, empowering local communities to regenerate areas of forest while also making a livelihood.Communities can learn the latest agroforestry techniques from experts, giving local landowners the knowledge and skills to be self-sufficient and ensure the long-term survival of newly planted trees.Indeed, tree-planting projects often include non-discriminatory education programs, empowering not only men, but women and young people to gain knowledge, confidence and the skills required to forge a sustainable path to more equal and prosperous lives.Partnering with communities to plant trees not only offers long-term financial security, but it creates an active dialogue between disparate and distant groups across the globe.If we really want to commit to a sustainable present and healthy global future, then we need to do it together. There is no other way.

See how trees support all sustainable development goals here.