1,999,843 people have helped raise more than $5,633,826 for 268 projects

Environment

Where does this issue fit into the Sustainable Development Goals?

This issue is addressed in three of the SGDs. 

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

People are experiencing the significant impacts of climate change, which include changing weather patterns, rising sea level, and more extreme weather events. The greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are driving climate change and continue to rise. They are now at their highest levels in history. Without action, the world’s average surface temperature is projected to rise over the 21st century and is likely to surpass 3 degrees Celsius this century—with some areas of the world expected to warm even more. The poorest and most vulnerable people are being affected the most.

Affordable, scalable solutions are now available to enable countries to leapfrog to cleaner, more resilient economies. The pace of change is quickening as more people are turning to renewable energy and a range of other measures that will reduce emissions and increase adaptation efforts.

Facts & Figures

Thanks to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change we know:

  • From 1880 to 2012, average global temperature increased by 0.85°C. To put this into perspective, for each 1 degree of temperature increase, grain yields decline by about 5 per cent. Maize, wheat and other major crops have experienced significant yield reductions at the global level of 40 megatonnes per year between 1981 and 2002 due to a warmer climate.
  • Oceans have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished and sea level has risen. From 1901 to 2010, the global average sea level rose by 19 cm as oceans expanded due to warming and ice melted. The Arctic’s sea ice extent has shrunk in every successive decade since 1979, with 1.07 million km² of ice loss every decade

Find our more about this Sustainable Development Goal.  

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

The world’s oceans – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make the Earth habitable for humankind.

Our rainwater, drinking water, weather, climate, coastlines, much of our food, and even the oxygen in the air we breathe, are all ultimately provided and regulated by the sea. Throughout history, oceans and seas have been vital conduits for trade and transportation.

Careful management of this essential global resource is a key feature of a sustainable future.

Fast Facts

  • Over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods
  • As much as 40 per cent of the world oceans are heavily affected by human activities, including pollution, depleted fisheries, and loss of coastal habitats
  • Oceans absorb about 30 per cent of carbon dioxide produced by humans, buffering the impacts of global warming
Find our more about this Sustainable Development Goal.  

Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss

Forests cover 30 per cent of the Earth’s surface and in addition to providing food security and shelter, forests are key to combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and the homes of the indigenous population.  Thirteen million hectares of forests are being lost every year while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares.

Deforestation and desertification – caused by human activities and climate change – pose major challenges to sustainable development and have affected the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the fight against poverty. Efforts are being made to manage forests and combat desertification.

Fast Facts

  • Around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood. This includes some 70 million indigenous people
  • 2.6 billion people depend directly on agriculture, but 52 per cent of the land used for agriculture is moderately or severely affected by soil degradation
  • Of the 8,300 animal breeds known, 8 per cent are extinct and 22 per cent are at risk of extinction
Find our more about this Sustainable Development Goal.  

The issues

Background info and projects we've funded to address these issues
- Poverty & hunger
- Water & Sanitation
- Health
- Education
- Energy
- Food Security
- Gender Equality
- Maternal Health
- Ensuring Environmental Sustainability

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See the global spread of projects FootprintsNetwork has funded
View Map


Saving Snow Leopards Through Community-based Conservation in India India , RUN BY: Australian Himalayan Foundation

India This project's long-term goal is to increase or stabilize the population of snow leopards in Ladakh, India. The project aims to help snow leopards and local people peacefully coexist, while benefitting the Zanskar communities.

Project cost

0AUD 30,000

6,828

Raised from 1,112 people

Latest donation: USD 2.00

5 hours ago from a World Nomads USA customer


Saving Coral Reefs and Marine Life in the Philippines Philippines , RUN BY: The Reef-World Foundation

Philippines This project will train local environmental champions to mentor local dive and snorkel businesses and help them become driving forces in coral reef conservation.

Project cost

0AUD 25,000

13,725

Raised from 2,300 people

Latest donation: USD 10.00

6 hours ago from a World Nomads USA customer


Spectacled Bear Protection in Peru Peru , RUN BY: Wildlife Conservation Network

Peru This project will work with the Peruvian government to protect spectacled bears and manage Machu Picchu for the benefit of wildlife, local Indigenous communities, and future generations through science-based conservation actions.

Project cost

0AUD 30,000

24,603

Raised from 4,181 people

Latest donation: AUD 2.00

18 minutes ago from a Travel Insurance Direct AU customer


Sea Turtles and Plastic Projects Costa Rica , RUN BY: SEE Turtles

Costa Rica SEE Turtles helps the sea turtle community connect, grow, and thrive by supporting community-based conservation efforts. This project supports the Sea Turtles & Plastic campaign which is designed to get plastic waste out of sea turtle habitats around the world, by supporting four local programs in Costa Rica.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

AUD 30,008

Raised from 4,934 people


Help Save Green Turtles in Costa Rica Costa Rica , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Costa Rica The Sea Turtle Conservancy is working to save the Green Turtles which are in decline, working within the community of Tortuguero in Costa Rica to introduce eco-tourism as an alternative to the “consumptive use” of sea turtles for meat, eggs and shell. Funds raised through the Footprints Program will help fund the project’s research coordinators, research supplies and equipment, provide food for station staff and volunteers, gas for project boats, and supplies for community outreach and education activities.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

AUD 30,009

Raised from 5,053 people


Save endangered sea turtles in Panama Panama , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Panama This project enlisted the local community in a new sea turtle research and conservation program at a recently discovered nesting site in Bocas del Drago, Panama. Results included reductions in illegal poaching and dog predation, a study of the impacts of climate change, and educating the community about the importance and economic value of conservation.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 20,001

Raised from 7,697 people


Protect endangered zebras and support female enterprise in Kenya Kenya , RUN BY: Wildlife Conservation Network

Kenya This project will connect wildlife conservation to income generation and health education for local women and school-age girls in Samburu County, northern Kenya.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 18,406

Raised from 7,889 people


Protect juvenile sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico United States , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

United States This project will monitor and protect juvenile green and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles that hatch at nesting beaches around the Caribbean and travel to the north Gulf of Mexico to grow up.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 20,012

Raised from 8,774 people


Protect the endangered Andean cat in the High Andes Peru , RUN BY: Wildlife Conservation Network

Peru This project will support the Andean Cat Alliance's CATcrafts project to provide women living in Andean cat habitats a sustainable means to earn an income while simultaneously turning them into conservation ambassadors.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 15,003

Raised from 6,550 people


Save sea turtles through ecotourism in Panama Panama , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Panama This project will work with members of an indigenous community on the Atlantic coast of Panama to support the development of sustainable ecotourism as a way to save sea turtles by reducing pressure to hunt sea turtles for a living.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 15,007

Raised from 6,792 people


Protect reefs through sustainable tourism in Indonesia Indonesia , RUN BY: The Reef-World Foundation

Indonesia This project will protect threatened coral reefs in Indonesia by uniting governments, NGOs and the diving and snorkelling industry to establish international environmental standards for marine tourism.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

AUD 10,001

Raised from 3,148 people


Protect endangered pangolins in southern Africa South Africa , RUN BY: Wildlife Conservation Network

South Africa This project will protect pangolins – the most trafficked animal on earth – from accidental electrocution by designing wildlife-friendly electric fences in southern Africa.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 10,006

Raised from 4,484 people


Support Sea Turtles and Sustainable Tourism in Costa Rica Costa Rica , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Costa Rica This project will reduce the impacts of climate change on sea turtles and promote eco-tourism as a way to build sustainable conservation programs that provide revenue for local communities.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 25,009

Raised from 11,034 people


Save Endangered Scarlet Macaws in Belize Belize , RUN BY: Adventure Travel Conservation Fund

Belize This project will help save endangered macaws in Belize, future proofing their environment against predicted increases in tourism to the area through training and on-site monitoring.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 20,001

Raised from 8,922 people


Support Cheetah Conservation in Botswana Botswana , RUN BY: Wildlife Conservation Network

Botswana This project will lessen the risk of retaliatory killing of cheetahs, Africa's most threatened big cat, by local farmers through improving their livelihoods with better livestock management and protection.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 20,002

Raised from 8,863 people


Save sea turtles and support communities in the West Indies Saint Kitts And Nevis , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Saint Kitts And Nevis This project will collect information about nesting and migratory behaviours of critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles in the West Indies and use that information to conduct environmental education and stewardship-building programs that support sustainable eco-tourism.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 25,004

Raised from 10,619 people


Protect Sharks and Rays in Belize Belize , RUN BY: Wildlife Conservation Network

Belize This project will engage the public and visitors in Belize’s first citizen science project to change perceptions, document populations, and support conservation efforts for sharks and rays.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 24,002

Raised from 10,242 people


Protect Juvenile Sea Turtles in the Gulf of North Mexico United States , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

United States This project will monitor and protect juvenile green and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles that hatch at nesting beaches around the Caribbean and travel to the north Gulf of Mexico to grow up.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 25,003

Raised from 10,355 people


Protect wildlife from poachers in the Serengeti Tanzania , RUN BY: Frankfurt Zoological Society - US

Tanzania This project will help protect the Serengeti’s wildlife through the provision of training and equipment necessary for the immobilization and release of wildlife found trapped in snares set by bushmeat hunters.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 10,002

Raised from 4,079 people


Clean Up Trekking Trash in Nepal Nepal , RUN BY: Adventure Travel Conservation Fund

Nepal This project will reduce trash and litter generated by trekkers along the major trails of the Everest region through constructing waste collection bins to help keep trails, forests, fields and waterways clean.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 29,005

Raised from 12,653 people


Restore Forests to Protect Cotton-Top Tamarins in Colombia Colombia , RUN BY: Wildlife Conservation Network

Colombia This project will support local landowners to restore forest corridors in northern Colombia in order to connect forest fragments and thus increase available habitat for the critically endangered cotton-top tamarin.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 20,008

Raised from 8,251 people


Fight the Impacts of Climate Change on Turtles in Panama Panama , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Panama This project will support research and conservation efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change on sea turtle populations nesting in Bocas del Toro, Panama. The project also will provide field training opportunities for aspiring conservation biologists from developing nations in Latin America.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 25,007

Raised from 10,011 people


Protect Magellanic Penguins in Patagonia Argentina , RUN BY: Wildlife Conservation Network

Argentina This project will support the continued protection of a relatively new colony of magellanic penguins in Peurto Madryn, a major tourist destination in Argentina. The project activities will include research, monitoring and community conservation outreach activities.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 20,002

Raised from 8,290 people


Conserve Mekong Ecosystems, Cambodia Cambodia , RUN BY: Oxfam Australia

Cambodia This project will strengthen civil society and empower communities to realize their rights and protect their local natural resources, as a critical element in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

AUD 30,015

Raised from 9,734 people


Protect Sea Turtles in Costa Rica Costa Rica , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Costa Rica Through this project, the Sea Turtle Conservancy will train aspiring conservation biologists from developing nations in the proper techniques for monitoring and protecting nesting sites in order to build capacity for sea turtle conservation in Latin America.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 20,002

Raised from 7,959 people


Save Green Sea Turtles in Bermuda Bermuda , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Bermuda This research, conservation and education program is protecting juvenile green turtles that travel to Bermuda to grow up after hatching on nesting beaches around the Caribbean and Latin America.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 20,001

Raised from 8,497 people


Protecting Sea Turtles in Panama Panama , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Panama The project aims to reduce illegal poaching of endangered leatherback and hawksbill turtles at Chiriqui Beach, Panama, through a rigorous monitoring and protection program overseen by Sea Turtle Conservancy and implemented by locally-trained indigenous community members.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 15,001

Raised from 6,309 people


Saving Sea Turtles in Costa Rica Costa Rica , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Costa Rica To monitor and protect endangered green turtles at Tortuguero, Costa Rica (nesting site for the largest remaining green turtle colony in the world), through a rigorous research, conservation and community education program.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 15,002

Raised from 5,775 people


Saving Leatherback Sea Turtles in Panama Panama , RUN BY: Sea Turtle Conservancy

Panama To reduce illegal poaching of endangered leatherback turtles at Soropta Beach, Panama, through a rigorous monitoring and protection program overseen by Sea Turtle Conservancy and implemented by locally-trained indigenous community members.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 15,003

Raised from 7,279 people


Bringing wood efficient stoves to Kumaon Himalaya India , RUN BY: People's Environmental Awareness - Khati

India This project plans to bring 23 fluepipe wood efficient stoves to communities in the Himalaya to reduce fuel wood consumption thereby preserving local forests whilst improving health outcomes.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

AUD 4,002

Raised from 1,597 people


Saving Lives in Indonesia Indonesia , RUN BY: Oxfam Australia

Indonesia To help poor and vulnerable communities, particularly women, to prepare for and withstand the shocks of disasters in disaster prone provinces of Indonesia.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

AUD 20,002

Raised from 8,029 people


Protecting sea turtle nests in Guanahacabibes, Cuba Cuba , RUN BY: SEE Turtles

Cuba To protect the beaches of approx 2000 sea turtles in Guanahacabibes National Park, Cuba through monitoring, scientific research, and education of local communities

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 5,001

Raised from 2,235 people


Protecting endangered Hawksbill sea turtles, El Salvador El Salvador , RUN BY: SEE Turtles

El Salvador For every dollar donated, two turtle hatchlings will be saved. This conservation project provides financial incentives to Jiquilisco Bay residents for collecting eggs from highly poached nesting beaches to protected hatcheries.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 5,000

Raised from 2,180 people


Worm-farming to reduce waste, Pune, India India , RUN BY: Sangam World Centre

India This project will reduce the large environmental impact of the Sangam World Centre in Pune through the introduction of large scale worm farming (vermiculture), and in turn educate Indian staff about climate change and the role of composting.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

AUD 1,000

Raised from 466 people


Protecting Nicaragua’s sea turtles through community development Nicaragua , RUN BY: SEE Turtles

Nicaragua This project supports community-based sea turtle conservation by hiring residents to patrol nesting beaches, improving egg hatcheries, and supporting the development of local ecotourism in 6 small rural villages along the Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the municipality of San Juan del Sur.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

USD 5,001

Raised from 2,069 people


Marine rescue project, East Arnhem Land Northern Australia Australia , RUN BY: World Expeditions

Australia Restoring sea country with Yolngu Aboriginal rangers in East Arnhem Land by removing and cataloging debris, the by-product of South East Asia’s fishing industry.

This project is 100% Funded

 

  

AUD 6,003

Raised from 2,583 people