Why do we need to restore the world's land?
Our collective future depends upon our ability to restore the Earth: our common land. Landscape degradation affects us all. From climate change and biodiversity loss, to pollution and food insecurity, it is at the heart of the world’s biggest challenges.
Land degraded
Up to 40% of the world’s land is now degraded (UN, 2022).
People affected
Land degradation affects 3.2 billion people globally (IPBES, 2018).
Less wildlife
Wildlife populations have declined by on average 67% in the past 50 years, in large part due to landscape degradation (WWF, 2022).
GDP at risk
50% of the world’s GDP is at risk due to nature loss (WEF, 2020).
To restore the planet’s degraded land and secure a brighter future for everyone, we must take action now
That’s why we’re working with our partners to try to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2040. To achieve this ambitious goal, we’ve developed the 4 Returns framework: a practical and holistic approach to landscape restoration that everyone can understand and use. This approach is being used by people all over the world to create thriving ecosystems, economies and communities, securing a brighter future for everyone on planet Earth.
Our approach: 4 Returns
Our practical approach, the 4 Returns framework delivers returns to all landscape stakeholders: people, nature, communities and businesses. It's being used by people all over the world to restore and protect our home planet and keep it healthy for generations to come.
Return of inspiration
Planting seeds of hope for a better future and giving PEOPLE a sense of purpose.
Social return
Bringing back jobs, education, and social connections: the building blocks of thriving COMMUNITIES.
Natural return
Restoring biodiversity for healthy and resilient landscapes: reviving NATURE.
Financial return
Realising long-term, sustainable income: new BUSINESS models tailored to each landscape and community.
Why the 4 Returns works
Restoring our planet’s landscapes is achievable – but only if we work together. From farmers to business owners, policymakers to NGO’s, we collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders to create lasting change. A roadmap for successful collaboration, the 4 Returns framework unites all landscape stakeholders around one shared goal: restoring their landscape while creating a sustainable income for local communities.
Offering an approach that is both practical and adaptable, the 4 Returns enables landscape stakeholders to co-create a long-term vision and collectively act upon it.
“When ecology drives the economy, everyone thrives. To achieve our mission, we are trying to rebalance our relationship with nature. The time has come to move beyond financial returns – to shift from an economic model that damages the environment to one that keeps it healthy for future generations. To do this, we need long-term, large-scale, and holistic landscape restoration.”
Willem Ferwerda, CEO Commonland
Join us to restore the planet we call home
Donate or invest
Funding Commonland’s work means investing in our common future. We work with philanthropic funders and impact investors to offer our local partners access to long and short-term funding opportunities.
Partner with us
We build long-term partnerships with a diverse range of partners from the local to the global level, to implement and scale holistic landscape restoration and repair our home planet.
Join our learning network
Join the 4 Returns learning network to connect with others working in landscape restoration all over the world. Access opportunities to learn from your peers, as well as qualified experts.
Explore our policy work
We collaborate with policymakers to drive forward integrated, multi-level policy frameworks that support holistic landscape restoration.