SDG 15 and ISO/UNDP 53001: life on land through the audit lens
When an organisation selects SDG 15 in its ISO 53001 system, the auditor looks at what it does to soils, forests and biodiversity, on its own sites and in its supply chains. The auditor checks that high-risk areas and materials are identified, that objectives are measurable and that monitoring reaches top management.
Updated: · edition covered: ISO/UNDP 53001:2026
Land, forest and biodiversity objectives in ISO 53001
Under ISO 53001, the choice of SDG 15 has to be justified by the analysis under clause 4. Two entry points come up repeatedly. The first is land: the organisation occupies, develops or works land. The second runs through the supply chain: timber, paper, leather, soy, palm oil, minerals, whose production may degrade distant ecosystems.
Objectives under clause 6 must rest on one or both of these entry points, with a clear boundary. Measurement and analysis (clause 9) often combine area indicators, ecological surveys and material traceability. The standard prescribes no biodiversity method: according to BSI, publisher of the British edition (BS ISO/UNDP 53001:2026), it is generic and leaves scope and ambition to the organisation; the general presentation is in the guide to the ISO/UNDP 53001 standard.
SDG 15 within the 2030 Agenda
SDG 15, Life on land, is one of the 17 goals adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. It covers terrestrial ecosystems (forests, wetlands, mountains, drylands) together with biological diversity and land degradation.
It complements SDG 14 on marine environments and overlaps with SDG 13 on climate, since forests and soils store carbon. The auditor makes sure that one indicator is not counted twice under different objectives unless the organisation acknowledges it openly.
Organisations concerned and generic issues
| Organisation | Life on land issue |
|---|---|
| Quarry, mine, operator of linear infrastructure | Land take, site restoration, ecological corridors |
| Farm, cooperative, forestry business | Land use, hedgerows and field margins, forest management |
| Furniture, packaging or paper industry | Origin of fibres and timber |
| Textile or cosmetics brand | Agricultural and animal raw materials |
| Operator of logistics sites or business parks | Soil sealing, management of undeveloped land |
What the auditor verifies on SDG 15
- A dated and sourced baseline for the sites (areas, habitats, notable species).
- Identification of the raw materials exposed to deforestation or land degradation risk.
- Traceability evidence, tested on a sample of purchases.
- Objectives that state the area, material or site concerned.
- Results discussed in the management review, with the decisions that follow.
Typical findings on life on land
- Beehives or nest boxes highlighted as the central contribution while land take is left unaddressed.
- Offsetting measures required by a permit presented as a voluntary initiative.
- A zero-deforestation policy with no list of the suppliers concerned and no checks.
- A biodiversity survey carried out once and never updated.
- Sites acquired during the cycle left outside the scope without justification.
Frequently asked questions
Can an office-based organisation select SDG 15?
It can if the context analysis supports it, for instance through purchases of paper, furniture or equipment, or through the management of a plot of land. The auditor checks that the stated contribution matches a real pressure and that the objective is not limited to a token landscaping of green areas.
How does the auditor check a commitment on forest-based sourcing?
The auditor asks for the list of materials concerned, the criteria applied to suppliers and the evidence of origin, then samples orders and checks that the documents match the batches delivered. A lack of supplier checks while the commitment is public leads to a finding.
Do regulatory offsetting measures count?
They are part of the organisation's legal obligations, and the auditor checks that they are met. For SDG 15, the organisation is expected to distinguish those obligations from what it commits to beyond them. Presenting them as a voluntary initiative is communication that goes beyond what the system demonstrates.