On 5 June 2024, the Faith for Earth Coalition invited faith actors to join the global celebration of World Environment Day, an event linked to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The invitation promoted faith leadership, faith-based organizations and communities as custodians of far-reaching, value-based perspectives on environmental sustainability and partners under the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

The World Environment Day slogan for 2024 was “Our Land, Our Future,” focusing on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience. Already up to 40% of the world's land is degraded, and the degradation is becoming more severe worldwide. Approximately 3.2 billion people are adversely affected by desertification. Faith and religious leaders have a major role to play in expanding hope and action to solve these problems.

To commemorate the day, faith leaders from nine organizations shared messages on social media based on their principles and values. Kimiko Nagaishi, Soka Gakkai women’s leader, delivered a video message to support the initiative. In her message, Nagaishi shared the Buddhist values and perspective on the relationship between human beings and nature and the importance of society's land restoration efforts, desertification prevention and drought resilience.

Quoting SGI President Daisaku Ikeda in her remarks, she said, “The greater these challenges, the greater the potential to find creative responses that will inspire people everywhere and contribute to the sum of human wisdom.”

Nagaishi also introduced Soka Gakkai’s reforestation effort in Brazil and Togo. The Soka Amazon Institute, located in Manus, Brazil, restored the ecosystem in the surrounding areas by replanting diverse native species. In Togo, in partnership with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), the women beneficiaries are engaging in reforestation projects, which also lead to an increase in their income. Nagaishi shared that Soka Gakkai will continue to support youth and women, and that these groups are key to achieving ecosystem restoration.