The SDSN and UNCCD Launch "Land Action Labs" Pilot to Empower Schools to Protect and Restore Land

At the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Mongolia, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the G20 Global Land Initiative at the UNCCD launched “Land Action Labs,” a one-year global pilot designed to empower educators and students to protect and restore land.

Approximately 40% of Earth's land is degraded, threatening food, water, and livelihoods for 3.2 billion people. Restoring it requires that current and future generations understand land, care about it, and know how to act. Yet most schools lack the tools, training, and support to make land restoration part of how young people learn and engage with their environments. Land Action Labs addresses this gap by supporting 500 educators and 20,000 students across 20 countries to lead hands-on land action in their local environments, through direct restoration, ecosystem protection, nature-based solutions, or community advocacy.

To achieve this, the pilot will develop open-access learning tools including a teacher mini-MOOC, program handbooks, and resource packages tailored to diverse educational contexts. Educators will come together for a one-day in-person workshop in Türkiye alongside the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in November 2026, and then join an online training program and international community of practice spanning 20 countries.

The pilot will engage 200 schools, with selected projects receiving mini-grants to fund ambitious land action initiatives, with outcomes tracked through student-led monitoring and documentation. Throughout implementation, a Global Advisory Committee of leading educators and land restoration experts from all regions will guide the work, refine curriculum, and ensure relevance across diverse contexts.

“Education becomes transformative when students see the direct connection between what they learn and the land and communities they care about,” said Amanda Abrom, Director of the Global Schools Program and Senior Manager at the SDSN. “Land Action Labs creates that enabling environment, equipping schools with tools and global networks so students cultivate leadership while discovering pathways toward green careers in their communities.”