Giving Compass' Take:

• The International Fund for Animal Welfare explains how to align work around the Sustainable Development Goals to benefit humans and animals together. 

• Could these strategies guide your efforts? Which of these best aligns with your mission and values? 

• Learn about the SDGs and grantmaking. 

Animals live in every environment on earth and their presence or absence affects key well-being issues such as food security, employment, public health, and others. Humankind remains not only interconnected to the ecosystem at large but also highly dependent on the health of the natural system and its animals. Regardless of humanity’s ability or desire to control nature, animals and habitats do not conform to national boundaries, which gives them key relevance in issues involving international development and ultimately how much of society defines development itself. From tourism to world health, our fates are intertwined with the natural world.

As we strive for a world of peaceful coexistence between humans and the natural environment, we at IFAW are committed to incorporating the SDGs as part of our work and spreading the message of the shared struggle for survival between humans and animals across a stage fraught with complex political, economic, cultural and ecological pressures. I welcome you to take this next step with Thriving Together: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Increasing Well-Being for Animals and People, a natural extension of the previous 2016 IFAW report: Measuring What Matters. It invokes a fundamental shift that not only better encapsulates the holistic approach to development that is critical in this globalized world, but also provides us with an enriched perspective through which we can ultimately define true progress.

Humanity’s historic reliance on animals has not ended. Indeed, as the world faces increasingly complex global challenges, our relationship to the natural world is more important than ever. As demonstrated in this report, animals, both domestic and wild, contribute significantly to human development, and their welfare supports human wellbeing in all its forms, both material and non-material. As a link between people and the environment, animals will play a key role in achieving a sustainable future.

Policymakers must integrate the welfare of animals and conservation of wildlife when considering the implementation of the SDGs. Failure to do so not only ignores the intrinsic value of animals, but also endangers the prospect of a healthy future for coming generations. In practice, this means animals must be integrated into all stages of relevant human development projects, from planning to evaluation. In order to address the global, interconnected nature of animal and human well-being, these efforts should combine international, national, and sub-national projects and stakeholders. Deepening awareness within the policymaking community, and ensuring that they have access to accurate information regarding the role of animals in their projects is also vital. Doing so reveals how animals are a valuable tool to improve the long-term success and sustainability of the SDG project and improve the lives of people. When animals and their habitats are healthy and cared for, everyone benefits.