Terraformation Appoints Jad Daley as President to Help Triple Global Native Reforestation by 2030 – PR Newswire

Report on Terraformation’s Strategic Appointment to Advance Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

On November 17, 2025, in Belém, Brazil, coinciding with COP30, the global forest restoration organization Terraformation announced the appointment of Jad Daley to the new executive role of President. This strategic move is designed to accelerate the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by scaling high-integrity, native forest restoration. The appointment aims to strengthen multi-sector partnerships and mobilize the necessary capital to triple global native reforestation by 2030, directly addressing global climate and biodiversity targets.

Alignment with SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)

Terraformation’s core mission and the new presidential mandate are fundamentally aligned with SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land). The organization’s strategy focuses on large-scale ecosystem restoration as a primary pathway for climate stabilization and biodiversity recovery.

• Climate Stabilization: The stated goal is to triple investments in forests and triple native reforestation by 2030 to significantly enhance natural carbon removal.
• Biodiversity and Ecosystem Restoration: The emphasis is on native and biodiverse forest restoration to reverse biodiversity loss and restore degraded terrestrial ecosystems.
• Project Example (Cameroon): The Iroko Restoration Project aims to restore over 14,000 hectares in the Congo Basin, providing a tangible example of action toward SDG 15 by combating desertification and halting biodiversity loss, while simultaneously contributing to SDG 13 through carbon sequestration.

Fostering SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

Jad Daley’s primary role is to leverage his experience to build robust, cross-sector collaborations, which is the central tenet of SDG 17. The strategy involves a multi-stakeholder approach to resource mobilization and implementation.

1. Expand Global Partnerships: Daley will focus on building a broad coalition of partners to support restoration efforts.
2. Mobilize Multi-Source Capital: A key objective is to unlock and blend capital from philanthropic, public, and private sectors to finance restoration capacity and scale community-led projects.
3. Strengthen Cross-Sector Collaboration: The appointment signals a commitment to integrating efforts across conservation, climate action, and sustainable development sectors to achieve shared goals.

Contribution to Socio-Economic Goals (SDG 1 & SDG 8)

Terraformation’s model emphasizes that environmental restoration must deliver tangible benefits to local populations, thereby contributing to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

• Community-Centered Programs: The organization’s approach prioritizes community-led reforestation, ensuring that local populations are central to and benefit from restoration activities.
• Sustainable Development Pathways: By restoring forests, Terraformation aims to create sustainable livelihoods and economic opportunities for communities dependent on these ecosystems.
• End-to-End Solutions: The provision of seed banking, training, finance, and technology empowers local partners, building local capacity and fostering long-term, sustainable economic development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article primarily addresses three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its focus on forest restoration, climate change mitigation, and collaborative efforts.

   • SDG 13: Climate Action: The article directly connects forest restoration to climate goals. It mentions that ecosystem restoration is a “defining pathway for meeting global climate” goals and that Terraformation’s work aims to “stabilize the climate” through “natural carbon removal.” The appointment of Jad Daley, who has a background in “climate action,” further reinforces this connection.
   • SDG 15: Life on Land: This is the most central SDG in the article. The entire mission of Terraformation is described as “native and biodiverse forest restoration.” The article highlights the need to “reverse biodiversity loss,” restore “degraded forest,” and the specific goal to “triple global native reforestation by 2030.” The Iroko Restoration Project in Cameroon, which aims to restore “over 14,000 hectares of degraded forest,” is a concrete example of action towards this goal.
   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article emphasizes the importance of collaboration to achieve its objectives. The new President’s role is designed to “strengthen cross-sector partnerships” and “unlock the capital needed” for restoration. It explicitly mentions mobilizing capital from “philanthropic, public, and private sectors” and expanding “global partnerships” to scale up the work, which is the core principle of SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   Several specific targets can be identified based on the actions and goals described in the article.

   • Under SDG 15 (Life on Land):
     • Target 15.2: “By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.” The article’s central theme of “native and biodiverse forest restoration” and the explicit goal to “triple global native reforestation by 2030” directly contribute to this target.
     • Target 15.3: “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil…” The mention of restoring “over 14,000 hectares of degraded forest” in the Congo Basin is a direct action towards this target.
     • Target 15.5: “Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity…” The focus on “native and biodiverse forest restoration” and the stated aim to “reverse biodiversity loss” align with this target.
   • Under SDG 13 (Climate Action):
     • Target 13.3: “Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation…” While not explicitly stated, Terraformation’s work in providing “end-to-end solutions — from seed banking and training to finance and technology” helps build institutional and community capacity for climate mitigation through reforestation.
   • Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
     • Target 17.16: “Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships…” The new President’s role is explicitly to “strengthen cross-sector partnerships” and “expand the organization’s global partnerships.”
     • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships…” The strategy to “mobilize additional capital from philanthropic, public, and private sectors” is a clear example of building these types of partnerships.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Yes, the article mentions and implies several quantitative and qualitative indicators for measuring progress.

   • Rate of Reforestation: The goal to “triple global native reforestation by 2030” serves as a high-level, measurable indicator of progress towards SDG 15.
   • Area of Restored Land: The specific project to restore “over 14,000 hectares of degraded forest” is a concrete, quantifiable indicator related to Target 15.3. This can be measured by hectares restored over time.
   • Financial Investment: The article cites a UNEP report stating the world must “triple investments in forests by 2030.” This serves as a financial indicator for measuring the mobilization of resources under SDG 17. The amount of capital unlocked by the new President would be a direct measure of his success.
   • Measurable Benefits: The article states that restoration projects deliver “measurable climate, biodiversity, and community benefits.” This implies the use of specific indicators such as tons of carbon sequestered (for climate), species counts or habitat integrity scores (for biodiversity), and socio-economic metrics (for community benefits).

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

   SDGs	Targets	Indicators
   SDG 13: Climate Action	13.3: Improve capacity on climate change mitigation.	Measurable climate benefits (e.g., tons of carbon sequestered through natural carbon removal).
   SDG 15: Life on Land	15.2: Promote sustainable management of forests, restore degraded forests, and increase reforestation. 15.3: Restore degraded land and soil. 15.5: Halt the loss of biodiversity.	Goal to triple global native reforestation by 2030. Area of land restored (e.g., 14,000 hectares of degraded forest). Measurable biodiversity benefits (e.g., species counts).
   SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals	17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development. 17.17: Encourage effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.	Number and scale of cross-sector partnerships formed. Amount of capital mobilized from philanthropic, public, and private sectors (with a goal to triple investments by 2030).

Source: prnewswire.com