Scientists from Wits University are calling for a fundamental rethink of how natural climate solutions are implemented across Africa. In a new Nature Sustainability commentary, Professors Laura Pereira and Sally Archibald and Dr Kim Zoeller, together with 12 African co-authors, propose six guiding principles to ensure climate actions benefit both people and ecosystems on the continent.
The paper, titled: Six Principles to Get Natural Climate Solutions Right in Africa argues that many global initiatives to address climate mitigation overlook Africa’s diverse ecological and social contexts. From grasslands and savannas to rich coastal ecosystems, these landscapes are often misclassified as degraded, leading to misguided interventions such as tree planting in open ecosystems, which could eventually harm biodiversity and local livelihoods.
“Africa cannot be treated as a blank slate for carbon offset projects, our ecosystems and communities have co-evolved for millennia. Climate action in Africa must start with African evidence, African priorities and African leadership.” – Professor Laura Pereira, Director of the Wits Global Change Institute and a researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Centre.
The authors warn that many nature-based projects, while well-intentioned, risk deepening inequality or damaging ecosystems if they fail to recognise local realities. Instead, they propose six principles (categorised as foundational, enabling and implementation) towards more equitable and sustainable decision-making:
- Acknowledge Africa’s development priorities and needs – Climate and biodiversity goals should align with the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063 and local development aspirations.
- Allocate financial resources for the greatest co-benefits – Move beyond narrow profit-driven carbon markets to support livelihoods and ecosystems.
- Prioritise solutions that maintain options for the future – Avoid irreversible land-use changes and respect indigenous and local knowledges.
- Be transparent about trade-offs and opportunity costs – Recognise who gains and who loses from interventions and ensure fair compensation.
- Ensure local buy-in and co-design – Engage communities as equal partners in defining desired futures.
- Use accurate, Africa-specific data – Global datasets often misrepresent African condition. Investment must fill data gaps.
“We need to stop assuming that what works elsewhere will work here,” says Dr Kim Zoeller from the Future Ecosystems for Africa programme. “Climate finance should reflect Africa’s realities and not impose external models. The evidence from African ecosystems is clear – when local knowledge leads, outcomes for people and nature are stronger.”
These principles offer a practical framework for aligning climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity goals. They also call for “true cost accounting” of carbon projects, factoring in social and ecological costs borne by African communities and for transparent finance flows genuinely supporting sustainable development.
“This isn’t just about protecting nature,” Pereira concludes. “It’s about shaping a future where Africa’s people, ecosystems and economies thrive together and where climate action strengthens, rather than undermines, our collective resilience.”
