1. Changing mainstream narratives and shaping discourses
From 2023 to 2024, the GLF amplified African-led solutions to global challenges, hosting events like GLF Nairobi 2023 and GLF Africa 2024 to promote landscape restoration and innovation. It also launched the Global AI Hub to explore AI’s role in sustainability and spotlighted Central African forests through the OFAC Hybrid Forum. Initiatives like the GLF Photography Awards and Social Media Ambassadors program elevated local storytelling and reshaped narratives around sustainability and green jobs.
At a Glance:
GLF Nairobi 2023: Engaged 7,000 participants from 130 countries, with 218 speakers and 121 partner organizations. Reached 27 million people via media, generating 170,000+ engagements and 81 media hits.
GLF Africa 2024: Connected 3,555 participants from 119 countries, supported by 110 speakers and 69 partner organizations. Achieved 189 million reach, 2.5 million engagements and 107 media hits.
OFAC Hybrid Forum: Garnered 117,000 engagements and 11 media hits, with 55% African participants.
14 GLF event watch parties hosted by GLFx chapters brought together over 600 participants across nine African nations.
The GLF Social Media Ambassadors program partnered with 46 influencers from 19 African countries to amplify local narratives.
2. Accelerating and scaling community-level landscape action
Each year the GLFx chapter network supports more locally-led organizations, helping them scale their work. In Cameroon, the GLFx Yaounde chapter trained 45 smallholder farmers on improved agro-forestry techniques. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the GLFx Kivu chapter established two community nurseries, hosting 6,000 indigenous trees. In Nigeria, the GLFx Uyo chapter trained at least 200 community members on sustainable forest management practices.
These are just a few of many examples of transformative change. Some chapter leaders have also gone on to share their work in other regional and international platforms, leveraging their influence to drive policy change.
At a Glance:
22 local organizations in 15 African countries actively participate in the GLFx network.
A total of EUR 90,000 has been granted to chapters to implement ecosystem restoration and sustainable land management in eight African countries, including grants to enhance their administration capacity.
4 GLFx Chapter exchanges were held in 2024, involving 14 GLFx chapters, facilitating valuable knowledge exchange.
4 Chapters actively participated in global policy processes, such as the Conference of Parties under the Rio Conventions in 2024.
3 Chapters leveraged the GLFx network to raise over EUR 85,000 in funding from other sources.
At GLF Nairobi 2023 and GLF Africa 2024 conferences, the GLF convened a ‘pavilion’, for chapters, stewards and local grassroots organizations to connect and share knowledge.
3. Strengthening youth leadership and inclusion
Mentoring young landscape practitioners is one of the cornerstones of the GLF. Each year the GLF’s Restoration Stewards program provides several young landscape leaders with mentorship, training and grants to accelerate their work. Some of these stewards participated in the Landscape Leadership Camp and Landscape Leadership Workshop held by the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL), the GLF and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), where dialogues centered on justice rooted in self-determination and diversity.
At a Glance:
Leadership workshops in 2023 and 2024 engaged over 100 young African experts with sponsorship from the GLF and SouthSouthNorth.
Over 70 young African professionals contributed to the GLF Africa Youth Project Team, shaping initiatives for the GLF Youth Program and YIL.
6 young Africans were celebrated in the 2023–2024 African Youth Storytelling Contests.
Since 2021, the GLF has sponsored 8 African Restoration Stewards.
Between 2023 and 2024 EUR 25,000 in funding was awarded for youth-led ecosystem projects in four African countries
8 mentors provided project management expertise between 2023–2024.
4. Enhancing landscape learning
The GLF’s Restoration Education platform works to increase landscape curricula and promote knowledge exchange through its newly launched Digital Campus. In 2023, it launched the Landscape Restoration Dynamics blended course. Later that year the GLF Learning Team spread their work at the Landscapes for Our Future Global Summit and Knowledge Exchange. To blend digital learning with hands-on work, the GLF mentored nine interns in practical landscape knowledge and research.
At a Glance:
59 partner courses promoted on the Landscape Academy.
New digital learning platform launched: Digital Campus.
Second edition of the Restoration Education Summit and a workshop on facilitation and blended learning held with five African university partners.
Five African universities from Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi and Rwanda trained 247 students through the Pan-African Restoration Education Curriculum.
Five young interns gained hands-on experience with two GLFx chapter organizations
5. Sustainable finance for local landscapes
The GLF promotes low-cost, high-impact funding models to increase sustainable finance to local landscapes. By securing small grants for its Chapters and Stewards, the GLF helps spotlight these locally-led organizations, helping them secure further funding to propel their work. Sustainable finance is at the heart of the GLF’s annual Investment Case Symposium, where stakeholders gather to determine how to mesh public and private investments into restoring and conserving landscapes.
At a Glance:
Africa faces a USD 400 billion annual sustainable finance gap, receiving only 3.6% of global climate finance, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable funding.
The GLF Investment Case Symposium is a key forum for mobilizing finance for landscapes and communities in the Global South.
GLF Nairobi 2023 and GLF Africa 2024 finance sessions engaged over 2,600 participants, addressing climate adaptation and nature-based solutions.
In 2024, tailored support packages and small grants helped African Chapters and Restoration Stewards boost restoration efforts and attract external funding.
GLF endorsements have enabled Chapters and Stewards to secure grants from entities like the UNDP and the Mellon Foundation.
The 2024 private sector engagement strategy seeks to attract private investments, emphasizing the need for public-private collaboration in scaling landscape restoration.
