Sustainable Development Goal 15

Life on Land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, manage forests sustainably, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Goal 15: Life on Land

Overview

Protecting the natural systems on which business depends

Sustainability Goal 15 calls for the protection and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainable forest management, action against land degradation and the conservation of biodiversity. These priorities are directly connected with agriculture, extraction, sourcing, infrastructure and waste, areas in which business decisions can either intensify environmental pressure or support more resilient natural systems. Masters’ Union approaches Sustainability Goal 15 through research, responsible use of leased premises, public engagement and experiential business education. Its central contribution is to prepare leaders and entrepreneurs to recognise land, soil, biodiversity and natural capital as material considerations in strategy and operations.

Highlights

300

Saplings planted

Volunteers in the plantation drive

Days of regenerative-agriculture learning

01 Research

Faculty research published in the International Journal of Production Economics examines the ecosystem enabling agricultural-technology adoption in emerging economies. It considers how farmers, technology providers, financial institutions, policymakers and supply-chain actors influence sustained adoption. Its relevance to Sustainability Goal 15 lies in the link between technology adoption and the way agricultural land is managed. Precision agriculture and better information can support more efficient use of water, nutrients and inputs, but adoption depends on access, incentives, trust and institutional support. By explaining these conditions, the research contributes a management perspective to sustainable agriculture and land-sensitive productivity.

02 Campus and stewardship

Responsible use of shared, leased spaces

Masters’ Union intentionally locates its leased campuses within Gurugram’s corporate ecosystem. The institution does not own or manage the landscaping and building-level environmental systems at DLF Cyber Park; its role is to select premises with documented environmental standards and to use shared resources responsibly. DLF Cyber Park holds a GRIHA 4-Star provisional rating. Property-level measures include tree planting, open-space planning, water efficiency, wastewater reuse and organic-waste processing. Within its occupied spaces, Masters’ Union supports waste segregation, discourages unnecessary single-use plastics and uses digital systems to reduce paper consumption. The institution’s responsibilities include selecting suitable premises, using shared resources carefully and improving the environmental practices within the spaces it occupies.

Land protection at CDS Corporate Tower

CDS Corporate Tower earned full marks for sensitive land protection (2 of 2) and for open space (1 of 1) in its LEED v4.1 Core and Shell assessment. The credits reflect a building that avoids development on environmentally sensitive land and provides open space for the people who use it.

03 Beyond campus

Community plantation and environmental participation

On World Nature Conservation Day 2025, 50 Masters’ Union students and staff joined a plantation drive at Government Model Senior Secondary School sites in Gurugram and planted 300 saplings, giving 100 volunteer hours. The activity combined local greening with community participation and environmental awareness.

Sustainability education beyond campus

Masters’ Union faculty extend sustainability learning to Miranda House, Hansraj College, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce and Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. Five engagements provided 66 hours of pro bono teaching on circular economy, ESG, climate entrepreneurship and impact measurement.

Student and alumni enterprise

Masters’ Union’s venture ecosystem enables students and alumni to build business models connected with responsible sourcing, agricultural innovation and circular materials. Mellovia develops biodegradable kitchenware from rice husk; Saaha India and Source With Solomon explore sustainable products and responsible sourcing; and ventures such as Nutrifarms and Eat Real address farming, food systems and nutrition. Together, these ventures show how land stewardship can be embedded in product design, sourcing and enterprise.

04 Teaching and learning

The PG Programme in Sustainability and Business Management maps each of its 40 courses to the goals it serves. 10 courses are mapped to this goal, including Introduction to Sustainability (Term 1), Introduction to Business Sustainability & Global Best Practices (Term 1), Environmental Systems (Term 1), Decoding Sustainable Business Models (Term 1), Carbon Markets & Trading (Term 2), Introduction to Climate Finance (Term 2). Agritech Innovation covers farm-level challenges and opportunities across the agricultural value chain, precision agriculture, sensors, drones, AI and farm analytics and inputs, mechanisation, irrigation and climate-smart agriculture. Sustainable Supply Chains covers supply-chain mapping, due diligence and materiality, scope 3 emissions and supplier decarbonisation and responsible sourcing, labour rights and human-rights risks.

Field-based learning in land stewardship

PGP immersions places students inside organisations where land is a central operating resource. At TIEEDI in Darjeeling, students study permaculture, composting, circular design, community ecological knowledge and biodiversity-linked livelihoods. At Glenburn Tea Estate, students examine how soil, altitude, microclimate and long-term land stewardship shape the quality and commercial value of Darjeeling tea.

At JSW Mines, students consider topsoil preservation, post-mining reclamation, water-table monitoring, environmental clearances and community consent. At ITC, they trace agricultural sourcing to the farm gate and examine how procurement and payment systems influence farming practices.

Sustainability across business education

Environmental systems, biodiversity, natural capital, circular economy, responsible sourcing, waste management and sustainable supply chains are integrated into applied business learning. Students are asked to connect land stewardship with decisions about cultivation, extraction, procurement, materials, investment and growth.

What comes next: future priorities

Research on natural capital and land-linked supply chains, assessed projects from field immersions and community plantation activity form the base of Masters’ Union’s contribution to Sustainability Goal 15. The measurement of resource use and environmental outcomes across institution-controlled practices and supported ventures is part of the same work.

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