The G20 Global Land Initiative (G20 GLI) is an ambitious global effort focused on reducing land degradation and restoring ecosystems through inclusive, innovative, and community-driven approaches. Launched under the Saudi Arabian presidency of the G20 and coordinated by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the initiative aims to cut global land degradation by 50% by 2040. As part of its mission, G20 GLI empowers civil society, supports citizen science, promotes environmental education, and engages stakeholders across sectors including agriculture, forestry, and industry. The initiative enhances capacity-building efforts by integrating restoration education into academic curricula, expanding online learning, and training emerging restoration leaders. Additionally, it collaborates with the private sector through forums, dialogues, and start-up support, while also fostering international collaboration and knowledge sharing. G20 GLI is also a key driver of the Land Challenge under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, aiming to restore 1 billion hectares of degraded land by 2030. It actively works to transform restoration into a global movement by showcasing success stories and promoting best practices, while also supporting field-level restoration projects that contribute meaningfully to environmental sustainability and community development.

The Restoration Returns Award, previously known as the Small Grants Award for Field-Level Restoration Projects, is a community-focused funding program under the G20 Global Land Initiative. This grant supports impactful, locally-driven ecosystem restoration projects that deliver tangible benefits for communities, their livelihoods, and their lands. Designed to strengthen ongoing grassroots efforts, the grant is open to community-level organizations worldwide. The inaugural round in 2024 received 673 applications from over 100 countries, with 39 selected projects awarded a total of US$395,000. Building on this momentum, the grant amount for each awardee has now increased to US$17,000, recognizing both the growing need and the creativity of grassroots initiatives. The grant seeks to catalyze the scaling of impactful restoration work across varied landscapes such as forests, peatlands, croplands, wetlands, and rangelands. Funds can be used to enhance existing efforts through technical assistance, capacity building, the adoption of new technologies, or documentation of best practices. This funding is part of the broader G20 GLI vision to reduce land degradation globally and restore large-scale ecosystems. Preference is given to projects that are already operational and ready to scale up. Multi-year support may be available for initiatives that demonstrate measurable progress.