Peatlands cover only 3% of the global land surface but store twice as much carbon as in all the world’s forests. Find out how to support peatland restoration across the UK here.
Peatlands are among the most valuable ecosystems in the world, covering only 3% of the global land surface but storing twice as much carbon as in all the world’s forests. Scotland’s peatlands store 20 times the amount stored in the whole of the UK’s forests.
In addition to fighting climate change, peatlands also help protect against flooding by slowing the flow of rainwater over land. They also help to maintain water quality by absorbing and filtering rainwater, like a giant sponge. Peatlands provide homes for an array of species too, including Hen Harriers, Golden Plovers and specialised plants, such as Sphagnum mosses.
Climate change, caused by the widespread use of fossil fuels, is resulting in more extreme weather across the world and driving wildlife declines as habitats are lost. Could the UK’s peatlands help us tackle the nature and climate crisis?
However, degraded peatlands emit carbon, and 80% of the UK’s peatlands are estimated to be in a degraded condition. The RSPB has been leading the way in peatland restoration across the UK for over 30 years - but we must do more to address the nature and climate emergency. We also need businesses to invest in peatland restoration.
To see how we’re restoring Peatland at scale across see this link - Peatland restoration and climate change.
Find out how we’ve been restoring peatland at Dove Stone on behalf of landowner United Utilities.
To help mobilise private finance, the RSPB develops peatland restoration projects under the IUCN's Peatland Code. The Peatland Code allows us to quantify the carbon benefits of our restoration work and sell an equivalent amount of carbon units.
For more information on UK carbon credits see our explainer - What Are Carbon Credits & How Do They Work.
You can purchase and integrate these credits into your sustainability strategy by following best practice guidance, such as the Science Based Target Initiative's beyond value chain mitigation guidance (BVCM).
Businesses can also choose to fund nature-based solution projects like peatland that bring verifiable impacts to locations and communities near your operations, with the possibility of providing your employees the chance to visit and volunteer on those sites.
You may just want to leave a lasting legacy on UK nature. Our peatland restoration projects can last for 100 years.
When businesses buy peatland restoration carbon credits, it allows us to do more for nature, people, and the climate.
If you make a difference for nature by purchasing RSPB’s UK carbon credits, please contact [email protected].