South Africa’s Eastern Cape is set to undergo a major land restoration effort centred on spekboom, a hardy succulent that grows naturally in the region.
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that → set → region
According to Amazon, this investment will help restore more than 50,000 hectares of degraded land and plant 180 million spekboom cuttings by the end of 2028.
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investment → accord → 2028
The programme is expected to create around 11,000 jobs by 2030 and generate more than $500 million in economic value.
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programme → expect → value
The restoration focuses on the declining Albany thicket, where years of land use have affected the landscape and its ability to support nature and communities.
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years → focus → nature
As part of the project, Amazon will purchase 1.95 million tonnes of nature-based carbon removal credits generated over more than a decade.
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Amazon → purchase → decade
How will 180 million spekboom cuttings help restore the Albany thicket
More than 50,000 hectares will be added to the project as a result of Amazon's support.
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hectares → help → support
The project centres on spekboom, a hardy succulent that grows in the region’s harsh climate.
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that → centre → climate
By the end of 2028, 180 million spekboom cuttings will be planted across the landscape.
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cuttings → plant → landscape
The effort focuses on the Albany thicket, a distinctive ecosystem that has been in decline for decades.
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that → focus → decades
The project is already underway, with its first phase beginning in April 2024.
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phase → begin → April
That phase covers 10,000 hectares and includes 30 million plants.
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phase → cover → plants
The programme is designed and operated by ecosystem restorers Imperative.
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programme → design → Imperative
PC: Amazon
Why is spekboom important for restoring the Eastern Cape
Spekboom is central to the restoration because it evolved specifically for the Eastern Cape’s harsh climate.
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it → restore → climate
It is locally known as elephant bush because elephants browse its leaves; the succulent grows in harsh conditions where many other plants cannot.
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plants → know → conditions
It grows from simple cuttings placed directly into the soil, making restoration practical at enormous scale.
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restoration → grow → scale
As the plants mature, they cool the landscape around them and improve depleted soils.
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they → mature → soils
They also create conditions for ecosystems to recover naturally.
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ecosystems → create → conditions
The area is home to 165 recorded plant and animal species, including several considered vulnerable by conservationists.
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area → record → conservationists
Scientists have found that spekboom can remove carbon from the atmosphere at rates comparable to young tropical forests.
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spekboom → find → forests
The United Nations has also named spekboom restoration one of its World Restoration Flagship initiatives.
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Nations → name → initiatives
How will the restoration project create jobs and support local communities
The programme is expected to create around 11,000 jobs by 2030 in one of South Africa’s most economically disadvantaged regions.
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programme → create → regions
According to Amazon, the programme will also train local businesses.
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programme → accord → businesses
The project is expected to bring over $500 million into surrounding communities through wages, procurement, landowner payments and community investment.
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project → expect → wages
Amazon has committed to purchase 1.95 million tons of carbon removal credits generated by the project over more than a decade.
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Amazon → commit → decade
The commitment enabled the World Bank to launch a Spekboom Outcome Bond, which gives investors confidence that there would be a buyer for the project’s future credits.
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which → enable → credits
The credits are available for qualified companies to purchase through Amazon’s carbon credit service.
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companies → purchase → service
They will carry both the ABACUS label and Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) certification.
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They → carry → label
How does the restoration project support carbon removal
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project → support → removal
The project is part of Amazon’s work towards its Climate Pledge goal of reaching net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040.
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project → reach → 2040
The project has also received an ‘AA.pre’ Standalone Rating from BeZeroCarbon, an independent agency that assesses the quality of carbon credits.
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that → receive → credits
The rating ranges from AAA, the highest, to D, the lowest, and indicates a high level of confidence that the project’s credits represent real, verified carbon dioxide removal.
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credits → range → removal
Amazon says the project is among the highest-rated afforestation, reforestation and revegetation projects in the world.
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project → say → world
Together, the programme combines land restoration and carbon removal with local employment and investment in surrounding communities.
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programme → combine → communities
The Aporia
