COP16 Presidency Highlights Expanding Private Sector Role in Land Restoration, Combating Desertification at COP30 in Brazil

   Riyadh, November 18, 2025, SPA -- The presidency of the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16), assumed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, underscored the growing importance of the private sector participation in global efforts aimed at land restoration.
   This came as the Kingdom took part in a high-level event on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil. The event, held for regenerative landscapes in cooperation with COP30 and titled “Land Restoration for Climate – The Evolution of Private Sector Efforts and Solutions,” showcased major recent achievements under the Riyadh Action Plan, a leading platform designed to mobilize governmental and non-governmental actors in land restoration.
   Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture for Environmental Affairs and Advisor to the COP16 President Dr. Osama Faqeeha emphasized that the Riyadh Action Plan holds particular significance in integrating land, ocean and atmosphere. This process requires practical measures to connect local plans, financing, and political support. He noted that forming just one centimeter of topsoil can take around 1,000 years, while its degradation can occur in as little as two years.
   Faqeeha added that the world has already begun moving toward one of the five initiatives under the Riyadh Action Plan, originating from the private sector, indicating that more than 300 companies have begun taking serious, tangible steps to protect land. The aim, he said, is to encourage thousands of companies across real-economy sectors to help restore 1.5 billion hectares of land globally.
   During the event, the Riyadh Action Plan, led by the COP16 presidency, presented its work to a group of partners that included Ambition Loop, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) — which includes more than 250 global companies such as PepsiCo and OFI — Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and senior UN High-Level Climate Champions. These partners showcased transformative private sector innovations, ranging from insurance-based risk-protection solutions to emerging soil-health technologies.
   -- SPA