For peat’s sake, don’t delay says study

Avoiding any delays in restoring Scotland’s depleted peatlands would provide benefits to society worth nearly £200 million a year, according to research.

Looking at peatlands which had in the past been drained, eroded or burnt, researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) have calculated the monetary costs of delaying restoration of this natural resource that plays a huge environmental role globally, including reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

In Scotland 20 per cent of the land surface is peatland and the study concluded that restoring degraded sites by 2027 would provide £191m of annual benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, increased water quality and improved wildlife habitat – compared with the same work being delayed until 2039 and 2050.

The researchers said this was the equivalent of an estimated average of £77.76 per household a year in Scotland, adding that if restoration took place between 2028 and 2038, benefits would be reduced but would still be significant at £116m.

However, it is thought that by as early as 2050 most carbon stored in UK peatlands will be at risk of loss and this is aggravated considerably by 2080.

Dr Klaus Glenk, who leads the SRUC team, said: “Peatlands with a healthy cover of peat moss are expected to be less susceptible to future climate change. This also implies that substantial additional greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate global warming in the long term might be avoided by restoring peatlands earlier.”