The Eastern Cape spekboom renaturation project
Via our climate protection contribution you automatically build up habitat in Eastern Cape, South Africa with every purchase. Together, this enables us to restore natural territory where the climate crisis is hitting the hardest: in the Global South.
How the project is supported:
With every card payment, through Referrals and the Zero account our community supports the Eastern Cape spekboom renaturation project. This is a major milestone for us - we are doing something totally new which wouldn’t be possible without our community. Since the project is entirely financed by the Tomorrow customers.
Why spekboom is so important for climate protection
The spekboom is a succulent plant, which can grow up to five meters tall and live for 200 years. Beyond capturing CO₂ through photosynthesis, its roots prevent soil erosion, its leaves help regenerate the soil and create a microclimate that promotes the restoration of biodiversity. It grows in semi-arid thickets and is a hardy plant that is remarkably tolerant of drought and rocky soils. In short: this succulent can be very beneficial for the climate and the soil.
Project location Hilton Farm
The location of the ‘ Spekboom Renaturation Project’ is within the plant’s original growing region in the South African province of Eastern Cape. This farm consists mainly of degraded meadowland and a smaller section of agricultural land with low productivity. In addition to the ecological effects, it also has a social impact: The project created 119 seasonal and 4 permanent jobs in an area with an unemployment rate that remains above 40%.
The phases of the project
At Hilton Farm, a total of three million of the local spekbooms will be planted as part of a two-year planting plan and then maintained for three years. By this time, the spekboom will have established itself so well that it will transform the landscape into a species-rich thicket ecosystem in the following years. This project is important in the Eastern Cape because the landscape has suffered from extreme droughts and intensive agriculture. For conservation purposes, the created ecosystem will then be permanently protected.
Our partners
For this project, we have teamed up with strong partners: while the EcoPlanet Bamboo Group is the actual project developer, ClimatePartner takes care of the reporting, the audits and certification of the project. Together with our community, we are the sole financiers of the project.
