RIYADH: The private sector must play a pivotal role in Saudi Arabia’s land conservation efforts, according to the Kingdom’s deputy minister of environment and adviser to the president of COP16, Osama Faqeeha.

Faqeeha shared this message during the COP16 opening press conference on Dec. 2, underscoring the need for businesses to contribute actively to environmental sustainability.

“Businesses can be part of the solution by focusing their investments in infrastructure, integrating drought resilience, sustainable land management, biodiversity protection, and climate resilience into their operations, while also leveraging innovation,” Faqeeha stated.

The deputy minister emphasized that environmental protection must become a core element of business strategy: “That needs to be a visible and tangible financial contribution of the private sector in land conservation.”

Faqeeha highlighted that such investments would bring multiple benefits to businesses, including improved biodiversity, climate resilience, food security, and social well-being.

“The business of exploiting degraded land and then moving to recover virgin land is not sustainable—environmentally, socially, or even for the businesses themselves,” he added.

Faqeeha also warned about the broader impacts of land degradation on business stability: “We are seeing now that land degradation is a major cause of migration and conflict. And, of course, political instability is not good for business, so companies must consider these factors as well.”

His call for greater private sector involvement aligns with Saudi Arabia’s growing environmental initiatives, emphasizing the need for collaboration between government and businesses in addressing pressing ecological challenges.

Faqeeha’s comments reflect a shift toward integrating sustainability into business models, demonstrating that preserving the environment can also protect long-term corporate interests. He stressed that innovative solutions must be scaled up, particularly in light of the significant economic costs associated with land degradation.

During the press conference, Ibrahim Thiaw, the executive secretary of the UNCCD, also urged for a more prominent role for the private sector in combating global land degradation, stressing that it is a major driver of the crisis.

“We are very happy to have high-level participation from the private sector at COP16,” Thiaw said. “This is not only for governments to negotiate among themselves, but also to engage the private sector because the number one driver of land degradation in the world is food systems, mining, and cotton production for fashion.”

Thiaw commended Saudi Arabia for its leadership in addressing drought and land degradation, especially in the world’s most vulnerable regions.

“I would like to thank the government of Saudi Arabia for sparking this movement, which will likely take us the next 10 years or more to reverse the tide on drought,” he noted.

The initiative, Thiaw explained, targets the 80 poorest countries, as well as lower-middle-income nations, to help them transition from reactive drought responses to proactive measures like early warning systems and agricultural resilience.

Highlighting the urgency of the issue, Thiaw noted: “We have already degraded 40 percent of the land in the world.” He stressed that restoring 1.5 billion hectares of degraded land could help produce necessary food, provide clean water, and ensure breathable air.

Thiaw also pointed out the need for increased financing, particularly from the private sector.

“Only 6 percent of land restoration funding comes from the private sector,” he said. “We need the private sector to invest in their land and business to secure their production and ensure their activities are sustainable in the long run.”

As the global population grows, Thiaw warned that food systems must evolve. “We need to produce twice as much food by 2050 to feed a growing population and middle class,” he stated.

Thiaw identified addressing drought, land restoration, and financing as key priorities in the fight against global land degradation.

Prof. Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, also spoke about the goals of COP16, anticipated outcomes, and insights drawn from the Special Report on Land: Planetary Boundaries: Confronting the Global Crisis of Land Degradation.

The report provides practical suggestions for promoting sustainable land use and food production to protect human health and the environment.

“Humanity is at a critical juncture, and for the first time, we need to consider the real risk of destabilizing life support on the entire planet,” Rockström said.

He noted that current trends in global warming could push temperatures over 3°C within 75 years, a scenario he described as catastrophic. “This is a pathway that unequivocally leads to disaster. There’s absolutely no scientific evidence that we can support a world population under such conditions,” he added.

The global land area affected by degradation, which spans approximately 15 million sq. km, is increasing by about 1 million sq. km annually.

Rockström stressed the critical role of land in reversing this trend. “Land is a fundamental precondition that will determine whether or not we can turn this around or continue down an unstoppable path toward even worse warming levels,” he said.

He outlined the devastating consequences of continued land degradation, warning: “We are losing 1 million sq. km of healthy land each year.” This loss, he noted, is pushing the planet toward disaster.

“Unsustainable land management—how we manage agriculture, forestry, and land use—is the single largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the global economy, contributing roughly 23 percent of emissions,” he said. However, intact ecosystems still absorb 25 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, creating a delicate balance.

“The planet is just barely balancing,” Rockström cautioned. “For every day we lose more intact land, we lose that capacity, and the teetering balance will collapse.”

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia aims to secure concrete outcomes from COP16 by establishing a “Friends of the Chair” group tasked with drafting the Riyadh Policy Declaration, a key outcome document of the conference. 

Osama Faqeeha, Saudi deputy minister of environment and adviser to the COP16 presidency, announced the formation of the group, emphasizing its role in shaping the conference’s ministerial declaration. 

“The Friends of the Chair group will be facilitated by a group representing the COP presidency, and a report on the outcomes of its work will be submitted directly to me in my capacity as president,” Faqeeha said. 

This initiative underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to ensuring collaborative and actionable results from the conference. 

A Friends of the Chair group is an informal working body established during international conferences to assist in drafting key outcome documents or resolving complex issues. It is composed of representatives selected to support the conference presidency’s objectives. 

Gender equality and sustainable land management were among the major themes discussed at COP16. 

Hungary’s representative highlighted the critical importance of women in addressing challenges like desertification, land degradation, and drought, commending COP16 for its gender-focused initiatives. 

“We particularly welcome the efforts made by the UNCCD secretariat and the global mechanism to promote gender equality and empowerment of all women in the implementation of the convention, considering the crucial role of women in reaching these objectives,” the Hungarian representative said. 

Hungary’s remarks were part of broader discussions on pressing global issues, including drought resilience, sand and dust storms, and sustainable land use. 

These conversations reflected a growing international consensus on the need for gender-inclusive approaches to climate resilience and sustainability. 

Azerbaijan also contributed to the dialogue, emphasizing the importance of sustainable land management in achieving global climate and biodiversity targets, particularly those under the UN Sustainable Development Goal 15. 

“SDG 15, target three, which aims to strive toward land degradation neutrality by 2030, is a driving force for many countries to strengthen policies for sustainable land management,” the representative said. 

Azerbaijan further called for expanding the scope of the UNCCD to include all terrestrial ecosystems beyond the current focus on arid and semi-arid regions. 

“We encourage UNCCD to take further actions to consider the full range of terrestrial ecosystems for the UNCCD to be fully recognized as a global document,” the representative added. 

They also highlighted priorities like drought preparedness, wildfire management, and public-private partnerships to advance regional cooperation and sustainability. 

Running from Dec. 2 to 13, the first few days of COP16 are set to see a number of high-profile summits, ministerial dialogues, and announcements to address the pressing challenges associated with land degradation, degradation and drought. 

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to be among the attendees, as is the President of the World Bank Ajay Banga.