News

Theoretical business case for using renewable energy sources to fund the restoration of peatlands

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This output examines new sources of financing for the restoration of degraded peatlands using income from co-located renewable energy sources and provides proposals for the compensation of turbary rights holders. Three renewable energy sources were selected toward this task: wind generation, solar generation and the use of biomass for district heating. These were examined and our conclusions have gone through a validation process by consultation with key stakeholders. Read More

Our EU peatland policy recommendations

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This report on Peatland Policy Recommendations builds on input from the review of existing peatland restoration strategies and approaches in NWE, input from 5 stakeholder workshops carried out at national level in Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and a transnational workshop in the European Parliament in Brussels combined with new opportunities and results from 5 pilot projects. Read More

Socio-economic model: towards a carbon- and blue credit scheme for peatlands

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The aim of this output is to outline the preliminary requirements and steps needed to fully establish frameworks for certification systems across Europe, specifically to support and incentivise the restoration of peatlands and to provide a framework for reducing GHG emissions from degraded and mismanaged peatlands on a large scale. This will ensure that peatlands across Europe fulfil their potential to become a net carbon sink by 2050, while optimising ecosystem service provision in a way that is fully consistent with all the relevant European policies. Read More

Measuring methods and integrated model to predict C-emissions and sequestration in natural peatland

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The Care-Peat project aims to demonstrate and quantify CO2 emissions and C-storage by proposing restoration scenarios and solutions for the reduction of CO2 emissions from peatlands, using advanced management tools developed from pilot sites. The project focuses on the improvement of the interaction between hydrology and greenhouse gas emissions. For that, we developed a full methodology on two main objectives: to standardise the set-up of a field procedure to measure Greenhouse Gases (GHG, specifically CO2 and CH4) across all pilot sites, and the implementation of (i) a numerical model to simulate carbon fluxes, especially ecosystem respiration (RECO), Gross Primary Production (GPP) and Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) at peatlands scale and (ii) a numerical tool dedicated to site managers and owners to estimate these fluxes. Read More

Farmer engagement

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In 2023, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Galway conducted surveys of farmer attitudes toward rewetting/wetland farming (paludiculture) in England and Ireland. In both cases, the majority (~68%) of farmers interviewed had not heard of paludiculture, but were interested in learning more about it. Most farmers are concerned about land degradation and want to increase biodiversity to ‘do the right thing’ but are often most limited to market uncertainties. Our results clearly indicated a lack of existing business case studies and an unwillingness to enter uncertain markets were the main barriers preventing uptake of paludiculture. Read More

Pilot site Landemarais, France

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The Landemarais peatland is located in Parigné, Brittany, about 50 km north-east of Rennes. Four decades ago, works were done to control water table level and trees were cut, both to conserve and promote biodiversity. Now, to go further, two areas dominated by Carex paniculata were stripped and Sphagnum patches were set up to combine biodiversity and carbon sequestration improvement. This restoration action benefits from the experience gained in the La Guette peatland site, where similar works were done. Read More