Impeding further deforestation is a global economic necessity. Governments need the cooperation with the private sector.
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UNCCD launches Business4Land Champions’ Council to scale global land restoration
The launch of the Business4Land (B4L) Champions’ Council took place towards the end of January and was co-hosted with the Swiss-based platform InTent. It brought together Champions and partners for a dynamic discussion on accelerating private sector action for sustainable land management.
Bringing together ten visionary leaders across diverse regions and industries, including food, fashion and insurance, the B4L Champions’ Council will serve as a high-profile advocacy platform under UNCCD’s flagship B4L Initiative. Its mission is to mobilise corporate action to restore 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030, while inspiring other companies to adopt land-positive and regenerative business models that deliver both environmental and economic impact.
“The B4L Champions’ Council reflects a pivotal shift in how we address land degradation: by placing the private sector at the forefront of sustainable land management and people at the heart of the process. Restoring land is not just a government priority, it is a global economic necessity,” said UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad at the launch event in Davos on the 23rd of January.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented at the launch by Deputy Minister of Environment and Advisor to the COP16 Presidency Osama Ibrahim Faqeeha, served as the inaugural Chair of the B4L Champions’ Council.
Faqeeha said that land restoration was a smart investment in our collective future. “With the launch of the Business4Land Champions’ Council, we are creating a platform where private sector leaders can commit, collaborate and catalyse real-world impact,” he added.
Integrating the B4L Council into the UNCCD COP processes
The Chair role will integrate the Council’s work into UNCCD COP processes and align business leadership with national and global commitments on land restoration and drought resilience. The COP17 Presidency of Mongolia, represented by Deputy Minister of Environment Munkhtamir Batbayar, will assume the Chair in August 2026, continuing this leadership through the next year and beyond.
“The Champions’ Council is not symbolic, it is designed to lead private-sector action on land restoration and drought resilience. From Mongolia’s perspective, we want business engagement to shift in three ways: from commitments to measurable land outcomes, from isolated pilots to investable pipelines, and from ‘do no harm’ to land-positive value creation. Engaging with our Steppe Action Agenda, the Council can drive collective leadership that moves markets, influences peers and creates a race to the top on land stewardship,” stated Batbayar.
“We want to bring companies the finance and technology needed to speed up land restoration and sustain livelihoods for people,” said Bayanjargal Byambasaikhan, Vice Chair, Business Council of Mongolia.
As the world looks toward UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia, the B4L Champions’ Council marks a key milestone in placing land at the centre of business strategies. With resources and priorities stretched across multiple global challenges, it is more essential than ever that companies invest in regenerative, land-positive solutions to secure a sustainable future for people, nature, and economies.
(UNCCD/wi)
More information:
Further reading:
Rural 21 issue no 4/2024: "Land matters"
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