Sustainable Development Goal 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.
Forests cover nearly 31% of our planet but are being destroyed at an alarming rate. This is serious because forests are important for our air quality and provide a home environment for more than 80% of land-based creatures. Lost forests mean the disappearance of livelihoods in rural communities, increased carbon emissions, diminished biodiversity and the degradation of land. Land degradation is affecting the lives of 3.2 billion people, driving species to extinction and intensifying climate change. While forest loss remains high, 2020 data show that the proportion of forests in protected areas and under long-term management plans increased or remained stable at the global level and in most regions of the world.
Read
Genesis 1:11-13, 24-25; and 2:8-9;
Revelation 22:2b ‘The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.’
Pray
Creator God,
We thank you for the beauty and variety within the world you have created.
We delight in the vegetation and trees that bear fruit;
in the animals that roam the earth
the birds with their vivid colours
and the insects that pollinate our plants.
Every part of creation is precious to you
and contributes to the eco-system that sustains us.
We are sorry for the ways we spoil our environment –
through waste, pollution and needless destruction.
Teach us, good Lord, how to care better for the land;
to plant rather than chop down;
to cultivate rather than consume
to protect and restore and grow and renew.
For the sake of our children if not for ourselves. Amen
Respond
Plant a tree (or support an organisation like ‘Tree Aid.org ’, ‘Allwecan.org’, ‘restor.eco’)
Reduce the number of meat-based meals you consume.
Encourage your church to register with A Rocha International as an ECO church.
Recycle unwanted items where possible and reduce your carbon footprint.
Organise a group ‘litter-pick’ in your community and dispose of waste products safely.
To find out more about Goal 15 and other Sustainable Development Goals visit: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment
The World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women supports the Sustainable Development Goals.
Translate