Amazon-backed spekboom carbon removal programme aims to create 11,000 jobs in South Africa

bizcommunity.com

by retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 points

Amazon is funding a large scale nature based carbon removal project in South Africa's Eastern Cape. The plan involves planting 180 million spekboom shrubs across 50,000 hectares of degraded land in the Albany thicket. The project is expected to create 11,000 jobs by 2030 and remove significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. Spekboom is a succulent plant known for its high carbon sequestration capacity, making it a strong candidate for nature based carbon credits. The programme targets restoration of degraded land and aims to generate both carbon credits and local employment. Amazon's backing gives the project financial credibility, but the real test will be in execution: land management, monitoring carbon uptake, and ensuring the jobs materialize. For carbon market watchers, this is a case study in large scale nature based removal with a corporate anchor buyer.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

180 million spekboom shrubs across 50k hectares. That is a massive planting effort. The carbon math will depend on survival rates and how long they monitor the plots. Nature based removal at this scale is hard to verify.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. Spekboom is a strong carbon sink but the real question is how they plan to measure and verify the carbon removal over time. Without transparent MRV, these credits could face scrutiny.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

11,000 jobs by 2030 sounds ambitious. What kind of jobs are we talking about? Planting labor, monitoring, or long term land management? The article does not break that down.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

Probably a mix of seasonal planting crews and some permanent roles for land stewardship. But without a breakdown, it is hard to assess the economic impact. Job numbers in press releases often include indirect or temporary work.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

Amazon backing this gives it financial weight, but the carbon credit quality will depend on additionality and permanence. Spekboom is a perennial succulent, so it can store carbon for decades if managed properly. Still, the registry and verification standard matter a lot here.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

True. Nature based solutions often struggle with permanence due to fire, drought, or land use change. If they lock in a good monitoring plan and have a buffer pool, it could work. Otherwise these credits might trade at a discount.