Extensive land use and conversion are threatening the health of our planet, with 75% of the land surface already significantly altered.
CEO Briefing “Leading a sustainable land use transition” argues firms should ensure land is managed well to improve resilience and sustainability.
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification COP15 summit is being held in Côte d’Ivoire, from 9 to 20 May under the theme of 'Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity'.
Our social and economic well-being is dependent on land. If adequately and sustainably managed, land regulates water and nutrient cycling, supports biodiversity, stores carbon and provides businesses with resources and citizens with employment and sustenance.

However, 75% of Earth’s terrestrial environment has already been altered by human actions. In the last two centuries alone, people have converted or modified 70% of the world’s grasslands, 50% of the savannah, 45% of the temperate deciduous forest and 27% of the tropical forest, according to a report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Almost a quarter of land has seen a reduction in productivity due to degradation since 1970. Between 1997 and 2011, the change in land use caused losses averaging $20 trillion worth of ecosystem services annually.

Transitioning from our current extractive and extensive land-use model towards sustainable land use requires businesses to take bold action and to do so immediately – we are running out of time.

The recently released Champions for Nature CEO briefing “Leading a sustainable land use transition” summarizes three reasons why land is a key component of a corporate sustainability strategy and sets out recommendations for businesses to lead the transition towards sustainable land use.

Reason #1: To achieve net-zero targets, firms must halt deforestation and conversion
The forest, land and agriculture (FLAG) sector has the potential to deliver up to 30% of needed mitigation actions from now through 2050. In addition to the much-needed energy transition, the prevention of deforestation and conversion, and increased investment in sustainable and restorative land use should be central to companies’ climate commitments.

In particular, for companies with exposure to FLAG emissions, decarbonizing land use is critical to achieving their net zero targets. According to the Science-based Target Initiative (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standard, these companies need to reduce land-based emissions by at least 80% by 2050.

Near-term targets are proposed in the draft FLAG Science-Based Target Setting Guidance, including a requirement to publicly commit to zero deforestation covering all scopes of emissions.

Reason #2: Sustainable land use mitigates risks for businesses
Many businesses – especially food and beverage companies, as well as pulp and paper operations – depend directly on the land for direct operation and supply chain. However, land-related risks to businesses are not always immediately visible, as their dependence on land is often embedded in the supply chains.

Land use-related reputational, market, legal and financial risks are also rising. Governments are taking more ambitious action to conserve and restore land, evidenced by the EU’s landmark legal proposals to ban imports of beef, palm oil, soy, cocoa and other products linked to deforestation.

Performing a materiality assessment to understand a company’s impacts and dependence on land can provide a good starting point for risk mitigation.

Reason #3: Sustainable land use creates business opportunities and resilient jobs
A sustainable transition in food, land and ocean-use systems can create almost $3.6 trillion in annual value and 191 million jobs by 2030. High potential business opportunities in this space include ecotourism, new precision-agriculture technologies, sustainable forest management, supply chain innovations, and a circular economy in textiles and sustainable inputs.

Preserving and restoring land resources is also for the future generations. Food systems are the world’s largest employer of young people. Business investments are needed to develop the skillsets for them to pursue meaningful work or become ‘ecopreneurs’ in the new restoration economyREAD further from the source