Site under construction, new site due to launch on 2 June 2023, World Peatlands Day
The UK’s peatlands account for the majority of our carbon stores. Healthy peatlands capture CO2 and protect our climate. Find out why it’s so important to restore and preserve them.
Peatlands make up 12% of the UK’s land area. They store more than double the amount of carbon than forests: that’s over 1.2 billion tonnes in Scotland alone. When they are healthy, peatlands absorb high levels of CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, making them essential in the fight against climate change.
Historically our peatlands have been damaged by drainage, weather and herbivore grazing. In their damaged states, peatlands emit rather than capture greenhouse gasses. Drained peatlands in the UK account for between 10 – 20 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually: roughly 4% of our total greenhouse gas emissions.
Slowly, our rural communities are waking up to the importance of preserving our peatlands. Environmental initiatives to restore peatlands are taking place within the public and private sectors. Companies within high carbon footprint industries like energy and aviation are investing in peatland restoration projects to offset their emissions, making it a lucrative prospect for landowners.
The Peatland Code is a voluntary quality standard. The code is designed to make peatlands more marketable to commercial buyers aiming to offset their carbon emissions through restoration projects.
Healthy peatlands absorb high levels of CO2. Organisations working in high carbon-emitting industries seek to purchase and restore damaged peatlands to offset their emissions.
The Peatland Code verifies a peatland’s carbon offset capacity and its potential long-term environmental benefits. This helps to improve peatland standards as well as reassuring prospective buyers that they are making a wise investment.
The Peatland Code identifies several standards and requirements that peatlands must meet. Before being verified, participating peatland restoration projects must apply to the peatland registry.
An independent assessor will then visit the peatland to evaluate its condition and determine its restoration capacity. The peatland will be monitored and measured at intervals before it receives certification.
Our dedicated team of peatland restoration specialists can examine your peatlands and discuss steps that could help you to achieve the standards set out in the Peatland Code.
We’ll offer both guidance and practical support to help make your peatland a more lucrative prospect for voluntary carbon market buyers.
Angus Davidson Ltd is a business incorporated in Scotland (registration number SC381186)