15. Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably
managed forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt
biodiversity loss. More than a quarter of species assessed by
the IUCN Red List are threatened with extinction. The proportion of species threatened with
extinction are 41% of amphibians, 34% of conifers, 33% of reef-building corals, 26% of mammals,
and 14% of birds. The IUCN Red List tracks data on more than
134,000 species of mammals, birds, amphibians, reef-building corals, and conifers. More
than 37,000 species are threatened with extinction.
Progress to safeguard key biodiversity areas has stalled over the last five years. Global
mean percentage of each key biodiversity area covered by protected areas 2021 are 43% of
terrestrial biomes, 42% of freshwater biomes, and 41% of mountain biomes.
Progress has been made toward sustainable forest management, but the world has lost
100 million hectares of forest in two decades. Almost all countries have adopted legislation
for preventing or controlling invasive alien species. Invasive alien species negatively
affect the native biodiversity and cost the global economy billions of dollars annually.