The Business4Land (B4L) initiative of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), aimed at engaging businesses in more sustainable land management, published a guide to help the private sector assess degradation risks of the planet’s lands and protect these natural resources as a fundamental asset.
This publication to urge the private sector to increase investment in healthier lands was presented within the framework of the COP16 that is being held these days in the city of Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and which brings together world leaders to seek solutions to the problem of the desertification of the planet.
The event has the largest participation of the private sector in a COP of this type to date and the objective is to promote sustainable management of the world’s lands.
The Business4Land initiative, which was launched this year in Davos and is responsible for the guide, aims to help companies and financial institutions manage the risks associated with land degradation and drought with the goal of restoring 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030.
Within the framework of this initiative within COP16, high-level officials and CEOs of companies that especially depend on land and water, including the agri-food, pharmaceutical, energy, textile, ICT, financial and insurance.
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Companies see it essential to address land degradation
“In a context of increasing natural risks, companies have a key role in planning measures in favor of the land and reversing the trend towards degradation, water scarcity and loss of biodiversity in our societies and economies in all chains. of value and industries,” according to Nicole Schwab, member of the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum.
“Company disclosure is essential for companies that have a positive relationship with the earth,” said Razan Al Mubarak, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
He added that “today, many companies still lack a clear understanding of their land-related impacts and dependencies, leaving them vulnerable to significant risks.”
“Companies can gain significantly by transforming their value chains to incorporate sustainable practices, not only to reduce their impact on nature but also to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities,” added Philippe Zaouati, executive director of the investment fund. sustainable Mirova.
“The livelihoods of more than 2.5 billion people, many of them small farmers, depend on agriculture, which is both a major contributor to climate change and one of the most affected by its impacts,” said Henri Bruxelles, from the Danone company.
The forum organized by Business4Land brought together more than a hundred high-level speakers and 400 guests. More than 40 corporations recognized the urgent need to address the problem of land degradation and drought and their responsibility in ensuring sustainable management of natural resources as a business and social imperative.
The objective of this type of meeting, according to those responsible, is to forge new coalitions to restore the earth and generate resilience, through collaboration to promote investments in nature-based solutions that ensure human prosperity and the health of the planet.
With information from EFE
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