In 1987, the world’s leaders came together and agreed to phase out the use of ozone-depleting chemicals.

The resulting Montreal Protocol has been hailed as the “world’s most successful environmental protection agreement,” and yogi, mystic, visionary and soil activist Sadhguru knows why: It was able to unite the world around a single goal.

“I think a time has come where that kind of action is needed for soil,” he said at the 15th session of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Cote d’Ivoire on Tuesday.

Sadhguru is a spiritual leader who has spent the last 24 years leading a global people’s movement to save the world’s soil. His Conscious Planet: Save Soil movement aims to turn the world’s attention to soil; encourage around 3.5 billion people, or 60 percent of the global electorate, to push for soil-healthy policies; and ensure that soil has an organic content of three to six percent.