Land underpins the global economy, supporting food, water, minerals and the ecosystems that regulate the climate, yet up to 40% of land is degraded. This threatens half of global GDP, while restoration efforts face a $278 billion annual financing shortfall. Progress is constrained by limited access to capital, unreliable measurement of outcomes and the perception of restoration as a compliance cost rather than a commercial opportunity. Pressure is increasing as the energy transition strains land and water resources, agriculture drives deforestation and biodiversity loss, and soils erode faster than they can be replenished.
Led by UpLink and Mercuria, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s Nature Positive Transitions Initiative, the Scaling Land Restoration Challenge sought early-stage innovations in post-mining site recovery, soil rehabilitation and landscape intelligence. These solutions aimed to unlock private capital and deliver measurable restoration outcomes. Winners will gain access to a global network of corporates, investors and policymakers to support deployment and scale, as well as the nature and biodiversity innovation ecosystem.
