Greenhouse-gas emissions from human activities and land use change (from deforestation, forest degradation and agricultural intensification) are contributing to climate change and biodiversity loss. Afforestation, reforestation or growing bioenergy crops (with carbon capture and storage) are important land-based strategies to achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and to enhance biodiversity. The effectiveness of these actions depends on terrestrial ecosystems and their role in controlling or moderating the exchange of water, heat and chemical compounds between the land surface and the atmosphere. The integrated Land Ecosystems Atmospheric Processes Study (iLEAPS), a Global Research Network of Future Earth, enables the international community to communicate and remain up to date with developments and concepts about terrestrial ecosystems and their role in global water, energy and biogeochemical cycles. Covering critically important topics such as fire, forestry, wetlands, methane emissions, urban areas, pollution and climate change, the iLEAPS Global Research Programme sits centre stage for some of the most important environmental questions facing humanity. In this paper, we outline the new challenges and opportunities for land-atmosphere interaction research and its role in supporting the broader sustainable development agenda.