World Bank Land Conference 2025: Shining a light on the Land Matrix’s emerging role for equitable transitions

World Bank Land Conference 2025: Shining a light on the Land Matrix’s emerging role for equitable transitions

The 2025 World Bank Land Conference, which took place from 5-8 May in Washington, DC, once again highlighted that the Land Matrix Initiative’s documentation of increasing large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) in the Global South – propelled by intensifying energy transition and green deals, a prominent theme throughout the conference – is more relevant than ever.

With demand for land-based climate mitigation projects steadily increasing, mining for critical transition minerals booming, and renewable energy deployment accelerating, land is becoming an increasingly contested and strategic resource. What is more, the anticipated scale of land acquisition required to meet the growing need for renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar and wind farms, and expanding mining activities for transition minerals raises serious concerns about the rights and protection of both people and the planet – especially since these land deals are often implemented in countries with fragile land governance and histories of land-related conflict. Moreover, despite the existence of global frameworks, principles, and standards guiding responsible practices around land investments, compliance with them is generally low.

Against this backdrop, this year’s conference sought to explore effective strategies for securing land tenure and access and scaling up land sector initiatives, investments, and policy reforms that promote global prosperity and environmental sustainability. Land Matrix team members Jérémy Bourgoin and Christoph Kubitza attended the conference to gather important lessons from and contribute towards these discussions. This article summarises their key takeaways.