13 September 2018: As part of commitments announced at the recently concluded Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS), nine philanthropic foundations announced their intent to commit at least US$459 million through 2022 to the protection, restoration and expansion of forests and lands, while recognizing indigenous peoples’ and traditional communities’ collective land rights, to help achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The pledge was made as part of the 30×30 Forest, Food and Land Challenge, which calls for enhanced action to improve food production and consumption, better conserve forests and habitats and use land more efficiently and sustainably to deliver up to 30% of the climate solutions needed by 2030.

The nine foundations are ClimateWorks Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Mulago Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation.

Other land-related pledges and initiatives announced at GCAS include: US$500 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for its new Food, Land Use and Restoration Impact Programme; the first round of subnational recipients from the US$25 million Governors’ Climate and Forest (GCF) Task Force Grants with emphasis on the commitments that States are making to receive these grant funds; and a private-sector coalition supporting conservation of the Brazil’s Cerrado, the world’s most biodiverse savannah, that brings together investors with US$5.6 trillion in assets.

Land-oriented climate change solutions receive only 3% of climate funding.

Announcements were also made by: the Cool Food Pledge, a global platform to help companies, universities, hospitals and cities offer diners appealing and healthy food while reducing food-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25% by 2030; Foodshot Global, a consortium of 13 global food leaders, committed to invest in and accelerate scientific and technological breakthroughs that will improve soil health at scale; and the ‘Cities 4 Forests’ initiative, which aims to catalyze a movement that builds political, social and economic support among city governments and their citizens to achieve forest conservation, restoration and sustainable management.

Welcoming the commitments made, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Global Lead for Climate and Energy at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), noted that agriculture, forestry and other land uses contribute more GHG emissions than all the cars, trucks, planes and ships in the world, yet land-oriented climate change solutions receive only 3% of climate funding. He called on countries to “advance more of these conversations to set science-based targets and develop land-based solutions that will help mitigate the worst effects of climate change.”

The 30×30 Challenge provides an umbrella for more than 100 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), businesses, state and local governments, and indigenous and local communities aiming at raising the ambition of land-based climate action of all actors by 2020.

The Global Climate Action Summit took place from 12-14 September 2018 in San Francisco, US, under the theme, ‘Taking Ambition to the Next Level.’ [WWF Press Release on Land-focused Commitments] [WWF Press Release on Raising Global Climate Ambition] [GEF Press Release] [Nine Foundations’ Pledge] [30x30Challenge Website] [GCAS Announcements] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Call by 18 Foundations for Increased Funding for Forests and Land] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on New Commitments Made at GCAS]