The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2 to 13 December 2024. Held under the theme “Our Land. Our Future.”, this event marks a significant milestone as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD, and is expected to be the largest UN land conference to date. 

UNCCD COP16 will focus on the following priorities:

• Land restoration: COP16 aims to accelerate the implementation of the UNCCD target of restoring 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030 through sustainable practices like reforestation and soil conservation, scaling up successful projects and mobilizing resources. 

• Drought resilience: Prioritizing drought management strategies, COP16 will hold discussions on early warning systems, drought-resistant crops, and water conservation to enhance community resilience to droughts. 

• Land rights & people-centered approach: COP16 aims to emphasize the importance of equitable land tenure and empowering local communities, including women and indigenous peoples, to ensure inclusive decision-making and sustainable land management. 

WBCSD events & engagements across COP16 

WBCSD is a leading global platform where the world’s largest companies collaborate to make sustainable success a reality. We enable our members to place sustainability at the core of competitiveness and deliver real impact. 

As a partner of the Business for Land Initiative, WBCSD is supportive of the mission of mobilize the private sector to combat land degradation. This initiative encourages businesses to adopt sustainable land management practices and invest in land restoration projects.  

WBCSD is also a partner of the Riyadh Action Agenda, a non-state actor initiative supported by the COP16 Presidency which aims to promote ambitious, voluntary action and collaborative, multi-stakeholder partnerships to scale up global efforts related to land conservation, restoration and drought resilience.  

WBCSD will bring the voice of the business community to Riyadh and focus on the following priorities:

• Alignment on priority metrics and standards to demonstrate accountability and enable action: We will elevate and showcase the alignment work on metrics for regenerative agriculture outcomes. 

• Business-to-business action and investment through supply chains: We will bring the voice of businesses to position regenerative agriculture as a holistic land use solution and update the progress made in the Action Agenda for Regenerative Landscapes 

• Driving implementation and investment of credible national and business action plans:  Businesses are increasingly working with governments to drive implementation and investment of initiatives that deliver mutual benefits. Through public-private dialogues, we will call for the acknowledgement of and public incentives for land-based approaches that promote resilience. 

• Business support for a just transition that delivers for people and planet: We will advocate for public incentives for regenerative agriculture that benefit farmers and promote a fairer distribution of risks associated with the transition along the value chain.