Riyadh Calls for Private Sector Involvement in Land Conservation
Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister of environment and adviser to the president of COP16, Osama Faqeeha, emphasized the crucial role of the private sector in the Kingdom’s land conservation efforts.
During the COP16 opening press conference on Dec. 2, Faqeeha underscored the importance of businesses actively contributing to environmental sustainability.
“Focusing investments in infrastructure, integrating drought resilience, sustainable land management, biodiversity protection, and climate resilience into operations, while leveraging innovation, can make businesses part of the solution,” Faqeeha stated.
He stressed that environmental protection should be a core element of business strategy, calling for visible and tangible financial contributions from the private sector in land conservation.
Faqeeha highlighted the benefits of such investments, including improved biodiversity, climate resilience, food security, and social well-being.
Moreover, he cautioned against the unsustainable practice of exploiting degraded land and emphasized the need for businesses to prioritize conservation efforts.
Faqeeha also warned about the broader impacts of land degradation on business stability, citing migration, conflict, and political instability as potential consequences.
His call for greater private sector involvement aligns with Saudi Arabia’s environmental initiatives, emphasizing collaboration between government and businesses in addressing ecological challenges.
Faqeeha’s comments reflect a shift towards integrating sustainability into business models, highlighting the long-term benefits of environmental preservation for corporate interests.
During the press conference, Ibrahim Thiaw, the executive secretary of the UNCCD, echoed the need for increased private sector participation in combating global land degradation.
Thiaw commended Saudi Arabia for its leadership in addressing drought and land degradation, especially in vulnerable regions worldwide.
He stressed the urgency of the issue, noting that restoring degraded land could help address food, water, and air quality challenges.
Thiaw emphasized the importance of increased financing, particularly from the private sector, to support land restoration efforts.
As the global population grows, Thiaw highlighted the need for evolving food systems to meet future demands.
Thiaw identified 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, discussed the goals of COP16 and the critical role of land in promoting sustainable practices.
Rockström warned about the devastating consequences of continued land degradation and emphasized the need to reverse the trend to prevent catastrophic outcomes.
He highlighted the delicate balance between greenhouse gas emissions and the absorption capacity of intact ecosystems, urging for immediate action to protect the planet’s land resources.
“The planet is on the brink, and every day we lose more intact land, we lose that capacity to balance our ecosystem,” Rockström cautioned.