In December 2022, over 190 nations gathered in Montreal, Canada to finalize the Global Biodiversity Framework, an ambitious plan to save the Earth’s biodiversity. The United Nations Global Biodiversity Conference, or COP15, concluded with 23 ambitious targets ranging from land restoration and conservation to promoting sustainable consumption.

The session underscored the critical role of women’s land rights (WLR) in achieving sustainable climate action, highlighting how secure rights to land, property, and natural resources for women underpin the objectives of the three Rio Conventions. The discussion emphasized the interconnectedness between WLR, effective climate action, land restoration, and biodiversity conservation, advocating for the stronger implementation of gender-equal land tenure rights.

The session highlighted the importance of integrating land tenure into sustainable land management as a means to achieve effective land restoration and land degradation neutrality (LDN). Participants emphasized that secure land tenure is fundamental to encouraging land users to invest in sustainable practices, as it provides them with the assurance of benefiting from the returns on their efforts.