Restore at least 45,000 hectares of peatland annually and stop the sale of peat for horticulture
Peatlands store more carbon than all the world’s forests combined, and in the UK alone are estimated to store 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon. However, over 80% of Scotland’s peatlands are degraded and release carbon instead of storing it. While peatland restoration rates are increasing, they are still far from what is needed to restore all degraded areas.
The additional restoration would cost approximately £25 million per year. According to a Natural England review, successfully restoring this extra 25,000 hectares per year could lead to an additional carbon saving of a third of a million tonnes a year.
To achieve this, a strong pipeline of projects, skills development for the growing workforce, and clear policies and financial certainty for landowners are essential. The Carbon Emissions Land Tax could greatly incentivise landowners to protect and restore peatlands, while also generating funds for this work.
A clearly defined, fixed date is needed to end the sale of both imported peat and UK-sourced peat in bagged compost for amateur gardeners as soon as possible, and for professional growers within two seasons, with only limited exceptions.
For more information:
- Why Peat Free, Peat Free Partnership
- Peatland restoration: a natural solution to climate change, RSPB