Initiative 20x20
A country-led effort to change the dynamics of land degradation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Latin America and the Caribbean contain some of the most ecologically valuable forest ecosystems in the world, providing 27% of the world’s forests. Despite their importance, 20% of forest lands are badly degraded, and another 20% are completely deforested. The result: over 650 million hectares of landscapes are damaged in the region, threatening the communities and nations that rely on them.
Initiative 20x20is an effort led by17 countriesseeking to change the dynamics of land degradation in Latin America and the Caribbean by beginning to protect and restore 50 million hectares of forests farms, pasture and other landscapes by 2030. In total, that’s an area of land roughly the size of France.
As the initiative’s Secretariat, World Resources Institute works to boost investment in restoration through national investor roundtables and theLand Acceleratorentrepreneur training program. It provides key technical support to member countries to help them plan restoration programs, create public policies through theRestoration Policy Acceleratorand monitor their impact with tools like theSustainability Index for Restoration.The team also produces and communicates cutting-edge research on topics fromeconomic analysistonative tree species.
The initiative — launched formally at COP 20 in Lima — supports the Bonn Challenge and the New York Declaration on Forests, two global initiatives that are encouraging countries to restore 350 million hectares by 2030.
Initiative 20x20 is supported by more than 120 technical organizations and institutions, as well as a coalition of impact investors and private funds deploying $2.5 billion in private investment. With that funding, the Initiative’s partnersrun dozens of successful projects.
