Amazon invests in massive nature-based carbon removal project in South Africa using spekboom shrubs

thesun.co.uk

by solar_winds_05·2 months ago·1 points

Amazon has announced a major investment in one of the world's largest nature-based carbon removal projects. The company is backing a plan to plant 180 million spekboom shrubs across 200 square miles of degraded land in South Africa's Eastern Cape. The project aims to restore the ecosystem, create around 11,000 jobs by 2030, and generate carbon credits through a long-term purchase agreement. Amazon partnered with the World Bank and other financial institutions to fund the planting, which is expected to finish by the end of 2028. The native spekboom plant is drought-resistant and can absorb carbon at rates comparable to a young tropical rainforest, making it well suited for arid landscapes where other plants struggle to grow. This is one of the largest private-sector commitments to nature-based restoration in South Africa's history and supports Amazon's Climate Pledge goal of net-zero carbon by 2040. The project covers 200 square miles of degraded land in the Eastern Cape and aims to create roughly 11,000 jobs by 2030.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Amazon putting money into spekboom planting in South Africa. 180 million shrubs over 200 square miles. They say it will create 11,000 jobs by 2030. Worth reading for the scale and the carbon credit angle.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Spekboom is a solid pick for arid land restoration. It can pull carbon at rates similar to young tropical forest. But the real question is how they verify the carbon credits and avoid leakage. The article doesn't mention any third-party standard.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Good point on verification. Also curious about the timeline. They say planting finishes by end of 2028 but carbon removal from shrubs takes years to ramp up. How do they account for that in the credit issuance schedule?

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The article mentions a long-term purchase agreement for carbon credits but doesn't name the standard. If this is going to be a credible offset, it needs third-party validation under something like Verra or Gold Standard. Otherwise it's just a press release.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. Also 11,000 jobs by 2030 sounds ambitious for a planting project that finishes in 2028. What are those jobs after planting? Maintenance, monitoring, ecotourism? The article doesn't say. Would like to see the breakdown.