For the first time, the World Council of Churches (WCC) participates as an accredited organisation at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which took place from December 2 to 13 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The conference, themed “Our Land, Our Future,” highlights efforts to restore land and enhance drought resilience.

COP16 was part of the “Rio Trio” of conventions originating from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, alongside the Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Biodiversity (UNCBD) COPs, marks a milestone in sustainable development. The event featured the firstever public-access “Green Zone” and the

Faith Pavilion, co-hosted by the WCC, the Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA), and the Brahma Kumaris, showcasing the vital role of faith communities in environmental action.

At a side event organised by the UNCCD G20 Land Initiatives, Dinesh Suna, WCC programme executive for Land, Water, and Food, highlighted the statement of the WCC Executive Committee on Outcomes of Climate COP29 and Biodiversity COP16: Confronting Threats to the Living Planet, and introduced the recently published Living Planet Monitor. “The Living Planet Monitor tracks progress in sustainable food systems, land conservation, and water justice across Africa. It showcases how faith communities are responding to environmental challenges through practical efforts,” he said.

WCC also presented successful practices from its member churches, including the Ethiopian Orthodox Church’s management of 400,000 hectares of “church forests.” These forests, safeguarded by local communities, contribute to land restoration and climate resilience. Another example, “Farming God’s Way”, promoted by churches in several African countries, has improved soil health and supported farmers in reducing poverty. Ahead of the event, WCC issued a statement addressing ‘the intensifying environmental crisis’, in which it said it and member churches were seeking ‘a new way of living sustainably in God’s precious and unique creation – seeking a just and sustainable global community for this and all future generations of life on Earth’.

Resources including the Living Planet Monitor and the Walk the Talk Toolkit are available on the WCC website, www. oikoumene.com, to support churches and communities in environmental efforts.