Ban all development on all peatlands in the UK

The ever-increasingly frequent series of extreme weather events and their often catastrophic results should be a clear warning to the world that releasing large volumes of CO2e into the atmosphere has to be stopped as soon as possible. Many of us have seen at first hand the terrible impacts of fires and floods and should need no reminding that these will ultimately directly affect us!

In the UK, peat bogs are ‘our largest terrestrial carbon store, a haven for rare wildlife, a record of our past, and natural providers of water regulation. – Only 13% of England’s peatlands are in a near natural state.’ (From the foreword of the ‘England Peat Action Plan’ of May 2021.) The ‘UK Peatland Strategy 2018-2040’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has similar statements on the value of peatlands as a carbon store and unique habitat. 

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2012, states in paragraph 180, clause (c) that ‘development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons and a suitable compensation strategy exists;’ Natural England have consistently argued that peatlands are clearly irreplaceable habitats.

Incredibly, there is no protection for peat moss in England, despite the widely-recognised importance of mossland as mentioned above. Even the most degraded mossland will release millions of tonnes of CO2e if developed on, as the peat dries out. Achieving ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 is a statutory requirement for the UK and England, yet many authorities do not take into account the greenhouse gases released by mosslands in their area.

This is a disgrace. We need the UK Government to ban, with immediate effect, all development on mosslands and peatlands and to require all authorities to both produce peatland restoration strategies and to assist farmers in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by using new methods of soil management.