Restoring Africa’s damaged ecosystems is central to a just transition

Africa’s contribution to the global share of the carbon pollution that is destabilising Earth’s climate is relatively small. A just transition for the continent needs, therefore, to lean towards adapting to an unstable climate, ahead of aggressive mitigation efforts. A case study from South Africa shows how a Green New Deal-approach could help restore damaged ecosystems, buffer communities against climate shocks, and boost job opportunities in a country with high unemployment. Leonie Joubert reports. South Africa is battling to mop up a form of pollution that compares with an oil spill. But what makes this pollution so difficult to contain is that, once it starts, it self-generates and becomes unstoppable. The pollution spill we’re talking about here is in the form of invasive trees. There are a few problematic woody tree species that have been introduced into the country from many parts of the world, but mostly from Australia, Europe, and the United States, such as Australian wattle and eucalyptus species, and various pines. These are fast-growing, and thirsty. They tend to spilled into water …