SUNDAR BHARADWAJ: Mpumalanga agroforestry project showcases the potential of a just energy transition

It is often forgotten that marginalised communities are the most affected by climate change. The transition to a low carbon, more resource-efficient and sustainable world must therefore be fair and holistic, and do more for those who are affected most.

As it stands, too little has been done to deal with the effects of climate change on these communities in Africa — far greater movement is going to be needed on the ground. For instance, during the COP26 (Glasgow summit) SA gave a commitment to the world to reduce the use and export of coal and outline its net zero transition strategy. This may be viewed as a challenge on the one hand, but if the focus turns to reversing the effects of the climate crisis and targeting solutions with the community at their heart, immense possibilities arise. 

The benefits of getting it right are huge, as according to the UN as many as 20-million jobs could be created by investing in policies that support nature and tackle climate change, disaster risk, food insecurity and other major challenges. A recent UN work report notes that nearly all “nature-based solution” work in low and lower middle income countries (98% and 99% respectively) is in the agriculture and forestry sectors. These initiatives create jobs and support economies and communities, and need to increasingly form part of a broader aim to improve lives while achieving the agreed climate targets. 

Consider the potential effects on Mpumalanga, the coal-mining heartland of SA that had a lot of vegetation, savannah grasslands and forest cover several decades ago. Today much of the land is barren, with little tree cover. There is a widespread sentiment in the region that the air is polluted and the water from the Olifants River is contaminated due to mining activities, making living conditions challenging for the local people. 

We believe there is an urgent need to turn these vast lands to productive use and create a “green sustainable economy” championed through a large nature-based solution approach. Our project aims to turn up to 200,000ha of unused land in Mpumalanga into a $2bn sustainable land management agroforestry project over the next 10 years. This forms part of broad global moves for change — cemented again at the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt — and will help deliver on the clear need to fast-track and improve broad ecosystems in emerging markets.  

More than 50,000 jobs can be created in the next 10 years in SA alone through the transformation of those 200,000ha of land. And local and international customers will benefit from about 10-million tonnes of sustainably harvested biomass that can be turned into energy and materials solutions through the Mpumalanga project. We expect 200MW-plus electricity generation capacity from forest waste for off- and on-grid solutions. These energy and material solutions will support the decarbonisation of supply chains and reduce the use of fossil fuels in power and heat generation processes.

Collaborative approach

Citrus and other fruit, nuts, and cereals from harvests (planted in addition to bamboo) will be sold and distributed across local supply chains, boosting local and regional economies and creating business opportunities not only for farmers but also in the logistics, retail, warehousing and manufacturing industries. The project will seek to provide climate resilience for the local region while sequestering more than 160-million tonnes of carbon dioxide over a 30-year period, averaging 5-million tonnes or more annually.  

We are adopting a truly collaborative approach by bringing together government agencies, local communities, global foundations, multilateral banks, development finance institutions, institutional investors, research universities, regional NGOs and corporations to deliver on the vision. To do this we will take on a long-term lease in the initial phase(s) from the Manala Mgibe Community Property Association (CPA), representing the Manala Mgibe community & Traditional Council, a part of the Ndebele people. We have signed a memorandum of understanding for 350,000ha, from which we will select a suitable 200,000ha for development.

A pilot project covering 68ha will run for 12 months. However, the project is about so much more than this. Notably, it is about ensuring that the local community and habitat benefit every step of the way. We want to show that it is possible to create positive social, environmental and economic change through innovative nature-based solutions (backed by science) in Africa.

This project stands out as the perfect example of how solutions can be scaled up over the next decade to drive immense positive consequences.  

• Bharadwaj is CEO of Terragrn.