Annual Report 2024
The year 2024 was pivotal for the Global Land Initiative. Land degradation and restoration remained prominent on the global policy agenda throughout.
The UN Environmental Assembly, G7 Leaders’ Summit, G20 Environment and Climate Change Ministers’ meeting, and Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Leaders’ Summit addressed land degradation and committed to scaling up land restoration efforts.
The European Union passed a new Restoration Law mandating quantitative targets for land restoration. The conferences of the parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), all held during the last quarter of the year, reinforced land restoration as a crucial solution to combat land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change.
Building on this favorable policy momentum, the Global Land Initiative continued to develop and deliver a robust program. In collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), we completed a database on Global Restoration Commitments by countries, under the UNCCD, UNCBD, UNFCCC and the Bonn Challenge.
Representing a significant increase in global commitments since 2021, the total global commitment now stands at 1.2 billion hectares, with 30 countries, including 11 G20 members, pledging to restore over 10 million hectares each.
The UNCCD, with financial support from the Global Land Initiative, published the first global restoration economy international report titled, Global Land Restoration Economy: State of play and recommendations for upscaling. The report defines the private sector’s growing role in land restoration and its potential for creating green jobs.
The study outlines key recommendations to support the growth of the restoration economy, which has an associated market survey value of US$37 billion globally, grows at 8.2% annually and is projected to reach US$70 billion by 2031. Together, these studies stressed the need for focused policy action to encourage private sector investment and engagement in the restoration economy.
Working with the International Trade Centre (ITC), the Global Land Initiative launched the first cohort of the Global Ecopreneurs Program, training 100 young entrepreneurs with restoration Start-Ups. They received training on improving business plans and pitching to investors. We plan to scale this program regionally to reach 10,000 ecopreneurs by 2029.
Training remained a cornerstone of the Global Land Initiative, with programs on restoring land through biosaline agriculture, and on restoring mining and urban areas, lowland-based systems and drylands. These trainings consistently attracted more applications than the available slots. To accommodate this high demand and broader participation, we also conducted online webinars on these topics, in English, Arabic and French.
The first University Curriculum Course on Sustainable Agriculture for Land Restoration was launched this year. It reached over 400 university teachers, with over 100 trained on implementing the curriculum. A university module on urban land restoration is in its final stages.
Representatives from 25 countries attended the second Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians held in Bonn. With the European Union Restoration Law’s passage, global best practices can now be discussed and adapted to national contexts.
The Global Land Initiative’s visibility surged with participation in the G20 Environment and Climate Change Working Group meetings in Brazil, the COPs of the UNCBD and UNCCD and seven other international exhibitions. In December, the Initiative, in partnership with Bundeskunsthalle (The Art and Science Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany), opened the Save Land: United for Land Exhibition, the first museum exhibition on land restoration, which will run until June 2025.
Online engagement grew, reaching over 30,000 newsletter subscribers and over 14,000 followers across social media platforms, and a global reach of nearly 450,000. The Global Photography Festival, which attracted 17,000 entries from 153 countries, further boosted visibility.
The Global Restoration Information Hub was launched in July 2024. It is a compilation of globally available data on land restoration from credible sources. The site provides information on global best practices, restoration commitments, best practice legislations, documentaries, restoration actors and other databases.
The Initiative issued a global call for communities and NGOs to submit their restoration projects for small grant support, receiving over 600 submissions from 100 countries. Forty-one projects from 24 countries were selected for funding.
A global stocktake of faith actors engaged in land restoration was conducted, and the report is being finalized. There is great enthusiasm among faith actors for coordinated action in land restoration.
The G20 Global Land Initiative Steering Committee was kept informed of developments through regular communication. It met in July and continues to provide guidance on program implementation. It received the work plan for 2025-26. An exciting period of action lies ahead.
Dr Muralee Thummarukudy
Director, G20 Global Land Initiative
Coordination Office
The Global Landscape of Land Restoration
Land restoration was a prominent topic on the international policy agenda, discussed at key meetings such as the United Nations Environmental Assembly, the G7, the G20 Environment Ministers Meeting, the BRICS meeting, World Environment Day, and the Conferences of the Parties for the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Taking Stock of Restoration Commitments
GLOBAL UPDATE (2024): In 2024, the Global Land Initiative worked with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to produce a global update on restoration commitments made by countries.
UNCCD TARGETS: Since 2020, significant progress has been made in achieving LDN and broader ecosystem restoration objectives, with LDN commitments rising by 32.02% from 2020 to 2024.
BIODIVERSITY (NBSAPs): The new National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are still coming in, but as of October 2024, the total commitments under NBSAPs are 99.2 million hectares, a modest increase of 11.14% over the previous report.
CLIMATE (NDCs): The total land restoration commitments under NDCs are 291.4 million hectares, a 28.42% increase over the previous report.
BONN CHALLENGE: Post-2020, the Bonn Challenge continues to advance towards its restoration target. Per the latest update, 210 million hectares have been restored, a 1.92% marginal decline over the previous report.
Report of the Steering Committee Meeting
The Steering Committee of the G20 Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats held its 4th Meeting on 22 July 2024.
The Steering Committee reviewed significant achievements of the Global Land Initiative, including the launch of the Global Restoration Information Hub (GRIH), a comprehensive database showcasing best practices, reports and data on land restoration.
It discussed engaging the private sector, especially industries such as mining, which hold significant potential for restoration activities. It also discussed preparations for the UNCCD COP16 that was to be held in Riyadh in December 2024.
The Steering Committee agreed to expand the Initiative’s
membership to non-G20 countries and organizations under the status of “associate members.” Other proposals included developing a unified terminology for land restoration and strengthening collaboration across the UNFCCC, CBD and UNCCD.
The meeting also agreed to establish a documented tracking system to monitor decisions and ensure regular follow-ups. The meeting also agreed that the Steering
Committee members visiting Saudi Arabia would hold an informal meeting during the visit.
G20 GLI at Global and Regional Intergovernmental Processes
In 2024, the Global Land Initiative amplified its impact on the global stage by engaging in key intergovernmental processes.
GLOBAL POLICY ENGAGEMENTS
G20 GLI was highlighted at key international meetings, including the G7 Climate, Energy, and Environment Ministers’ Meeting in Italy and the 35th CAMRE Session in Saudi Arabia.
G20 ENGAGEMENT & EXECUTIVE SECRETARY’S MISSION
In 2024, UNCCD collaborated with Brazil’s G20 Presidency through the Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG). In June, Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw visited Brazil, joining a field mission to the degraded Caatinga region with the Minister of Environment and parliamentarians.
UNCCD COP16 & RESTORATION PAVILION
At UNCCD COP16 (December, Riyadh), Parties called for stronger G20 GLI partnerships (Decision 8/COP16) and enhanced capacity-building (Decision 2/COP16). he G20 GLI’s Restoration Pavilion, the first of its kind, featured 85 organizations, 244 speakers, and 46 events, earning top praise.
CBD COP16 & REGIONAL INITIATIVES
At CBD COP16 (October, Cali), G20 GLI launched a sustainable agriculture course, hosted faith-led and post-mining restoration events, and co-hosted a Restoration Pavilion. Throughout 2024, it engaged faith communities and expanded activities in the Arab region.
Building Synergies with Existing and New Initiatives
In 2024, the G20 Global Land Initiative built synergies with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and global partners, advancing collaborative actions such as, the Land Restoration Challenge, the Miyawaki Forest initiatives and the Nature Restoration Labs to combat land degradation, restore ecosystems and inspire a Generation Restoration.
UN DECADE OF ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION (UNDER)
Through 2024, G20 GLI participated in partners’ meetings under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and co-organized exhibition spaces and events at global conferences. The G20 GLI also led the Land Restoration Challenge under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
GENERATION RESTORATION, MIYAWAKI FORESTS AND URBAN FORESTS
G20 organized two consultative events to plan for future actions aiming to support schools, teachers and urban communities globally in order to give children a practical learning and experience with nature.
Pillars of Action
The Pillars of Action include showcasing success stories that benefit nature and livelihoods, engaging the private sector in sustainable practices, empowering civil society on land stewardship and sharing knowledge to mobilize collective efforts for land conservation and restoration.
Showcase Best Practice
ACTION PILLAR 1
G20 GLI showcased its work through its websites, general and specialized events and communications activities with a view to reach its wide and diverse audiences. G20 GLI added the Global Restoration Hub and the Geospatial Data Platform for Land Restoration to its web platforms. G20 GLI organized and sponsored exhibitions at events attended collectively by at least 10,000 in- person participants. G20 GLI social media reached nearly 450,000 views and increased its followers to over 14,000 solely through organic growth.
Geospatial Data Platform for Land Restoration
The Geospatial Data Platform for Land Restoration (grih.info), a geographic information system (GIS)-based website of the G20 GLI as developed in the second half of the year. The platform tracks countries’ commitments to land restoration, offering geospatial data and trend indicators to identify areas where efforts are needed most.
Urban Planning Tools for Addressing Land Degradation and Promoting Land Restoration
In July 2024, G20 GLI and Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) organized the “Urban Planning Tools for Addressing Land Degradation and Promoting Land Restoration” training workshop in Bangkok, Thailand.
The workshop showcased effective urban planning solutions to stop or reverse environmental damage as well as the tools and strategies needed to fight land degradation.
Youth Ecopreneur Programme 2024
The Youth Ecopreneur Programme (YECO), a competitive initiative targeting young people, showcases initiatives that could become game-changers in land restoration.
It aims to support 10,000 ecopreneurs by 2030 to take land restoration to scale. YECO 2024 attracted over 850 applications from more than 100 countries.
Meet Maryanne Gichanga, co-founder of AgriTech Analytics, a 2024 YECO Finalist and winner
Save Land: United for Land Museum Exhibition
The Save Land. United for Land exhibition, a collaboration between the Bundeskunsthalle (Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany) and G20 GLI, opened on 5 December 2024, and runs until 1 June 2025.
The exhibition combines contemporary art, cultural history, the natural sciences and the latest media technologies to engage visitors’ five senses to communicate the global situation of land.
G20 GLI organized other exhibitions at the Society for Ecological Restoration for Europe, the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, and the World Congress of the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations.
Outreach and Communications
G20 GLI communications objectives for 2024 were to increase global awareness about land degradation challenges and land restoration solutions, support the Initiative’s activities’ coverage, enhance global awareness of the Initiative, and motivate the audience to join the restoration movement and campaigns.
To assess its progress, the Initiative conducted two reviews of its communications activities: an internal assessment of achievements since its establishment in 2022 and an external survey of its work by subscribers. The evaluation found that current activities are effective and impactful, with a key insight that disaggregating respondents’ data could further improve G20 GLI’s communication strategies.
In 2024, website activity highlighted six important trends, with three standing out. The G20 GLI website, g20land.org, attracted over 126,000 page views, marking a 314% increase from the previous year. This surge was driven by both existing and new content, with a notable rise in stories and blogs published. Additionally, most visitors accessed the website directly, indicating strong engagement.
Media coverage also expanded in 2024, with key activities in Germany, India, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates gaining media attention, further strengthening the Initiative’s visibility and outreach.
Build Capacity
ACTION PILLAR 2
G20 GLI organized 12 capacity-building events in 2024. Of the over 4,526 applications received, 352 participants from 128 countries attended the in-person trainings. The events included training workshops, master classes or post-training webinars targeting G20 GLI audiences such as parliamentarians, youth, traditional chiefs, professionals, academics, policy implementers, primarily government officials and communicators as well as civil society and private sector representatives.
The Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians (G-CAP)
The second Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians (G-CAP) took place in August in Bonn, Germany.
Thirty Members of Parliament from 29 countries were selected following a rigorous evaluation of 136 applications from 37 countries, with 24 parliamentarians representing 23 countries eventually attending G-CAP.
Development of University Courses on Land Restoration
Trigger change for land restoration! is the Land Restoration’s University course collection under development by G20 Global Initiative. The collection has modular, transdisciplinary, open- access and expert created courses, which can be tailored to relevant university programmes.
The second course titled, Trigger Change! Innovations in Sustainable Urban Land Restoration, is being developed. The targets are urban planning, landscape architecture and urban environmental programs.
G20 GLI Internship Program
Over the past two years, 36 interns at the G20 GLI have engaged in inspiring projects in land restoration, ecosystem recovery and sustainable development, contributing to global efforts while honing their skills and knowledge.
At COP16, they presented Voices for Land, a video collage of each intern’s perspective on land restoration.
Empower Civil Society
ACTION PILLAR 3
In 2024, The G20 GLI empowered civil society by offering small grants for community-driven land restoration projects, fostering sustainable practices, capacity-building and inclusive benefits for local stakeholders, while inspiring global collaboration and expanding future restoration efforts.
Small Grants for Field Restoration Projects
In February, the G20 GLI launched the application phase of its inaugural program to support restoration projects with small grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 USD. Civil society organizations engaged in community-driven land restoration efforts, regardless of location, were eligible to apply, with priority given to those accredited with the UNCCD. The program aimed to encourage restoration activities across various ecosystems to maximize its global impact. During the application phase, over 650 applications were submitted from 100 countries.
International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) Annual Conference and Working Week
G20 GLI, continuing its strong collaboration since 2023, partnered with FIG, and included land degradation
and restoration as thematic areas in planning the 2024 Annual Working Week.
G20 GLI worked with Commission 8’s Working Group on Spatial Planning and the Working Group of Commission 7 dedicated to women’s land rights. G20 GLI also co-chaired and designed a technical session on “Addressing Land Degradation and Restoration through Spatial Planning.”
Roundtable on Gender Issues in Post-mining Land Restoration
A three-day Roundtable on Gender Issues in Post-Mining Land Restoration took place in May in Takoradi, Ghana, back-to-back with the International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) Annual Conference and Working Week held in Accra. The roundtable, co-organized with the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa, COLANDEF Land and Property Rights and FIG, emphasized the role of women in land restoration after land is mined.
Forty-one participants from 10 countries, including governmental officials and Queen Mothers from Ghana, discussed the challenges women face in post-mining land restoration, especially in artisanal and small-scale mining.
Faith Community Engagement in Land Restoration
G20 GLI deepened its engagement with faith communities. In 2024 because they have a strong influence on educational and social networks and administer vast amounts of habitable land.
This engagement began at a meeting of experts who work with the faith communities. The experts meeting planned the mobilization of faith communities.
In 2024, the G20 GLI carried out its first assessment of faith communities’ involvement in restoration, known as the Faith Stock-take. The virtual mapping exercise showed over 200 faith-led restoration initiatives across 65 countries and revealed the scale and diversity of faith-based environmental stewardship.
Rising With Kindness Youth International Conference
The Rising with Kindness” Conference (RwK) was organized with a view to reconnect youth with the land. The event was hosted in the world’s largest meditation center, Kanha Shantivanam, in Hyderabad, India.
During the three days, over 5,000 young participants engaged in an immersive experience of nature to bridge the gaps between personal commitment, community action, and global challenges, learning through workshops, dialogues and collaborative activities.
The conference helped to demonstrate that restoring land can be both righteous and profitable.
Built with Shorthand