Brussels Care-Peat Policy Makers Workshop: bringing peatlands to the political heart of Europe

On 26th October 2022, Care-Peat hosted a joint event in Brussels with the WaterLANDS project to discuss peatland policy recommendations developed with stakeholders and to advocate for stronger peatland targets in the proposal for the new EU Nature Restoration Law. The event, attended by MEPs, Directorate-Generals, and other policy stakeholders, called for a range of new measures, including the significant increase of peatland restoration targets for 2050, and the mandatory monitoring of restoration.

Representatives from the 5 Care Peat countries, Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom were presented with a list of policy recommendations from Stakeholder workshops in the 5 countries. These were amalgamated into a list of European recommendations.

The group engaged directly with a number of MEPs and public officials including representatives from the Swedish presidency, DG AGRI and DG ENVI.

In terms of the Nature Restoration Law, the event organisers welcomed it as a positive step, including the binding targets for EU countries to restore peatland by 2030, 2040 and 2050, and the recognition of alternative modes of use for rewetted land, stronger peatland targets were advocated for, including:

  1. The restoration of peatland must include rewetting.
  2. Significant improvement of peatland restoration targets for 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement.
  3. Target all non-residential land uses of drained peatland for restoration.
  4. Mandatory monitoring of peatland restoration.

In her keynote speech, MEP Jutta Paulus called for the improvement of the Nature Restoration Law, saying “Peatlands are some of our most valuable ecosystems, covering only 3% of Earth’s land area but storing more than 600 gigatonnes of the planet’s soil carbon, which approximately corresponds to the amount of carbon emitted by Europe since 1750. The degradation of peatlands has caused them to become carbon sources rather than sinks. The proposal for the Nature Restoration Law is Europe’s chance to champion peatlands in policy, but we must act now to strengthen the targets for a stronger Law for nature.”

The European Commission’s proposal for the EU Nature Restoration Law was presented on June 22, 2022 and sets a precedent as Europe’s first legally binding requirement to protect nature. If sufficiently ambitious, the proposal, due to be adopted as law by 2023, holds promise to protect habitats, reverse biodiversity loss, ensure a just transition, and enable climate mitigation and action in line with the stated objectives of the EU Green Deal, the Paris Agreement, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The event showcased how the Care-Peat and WaterLANDS projects will create a legacy for the upscaling of wetland restoration by contributing to European policy. Representatives of the two projects look forward to further work and discussions.

Relive our high-profile policy event in Brussels, together with WaterLANDS, in our movie. Find out why policymakers must act for peatlands

 

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