22 February 2023 – The Scottish Government has launched a consultation about banning the sale of peat as part of its climate change plan.
In an effort to protect and restore Scottish peatlands, the Scottish Government is contemplating banning the sale of peat.
It has launched a consultation to get the views of those using peat, such as gardeners, commercial growers, as well as industries such as the fuel and whisky industry. Holyrood also wants to hear from those who extract the peat.
The Scottish Government hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the impact this ban might have on the various industries. The consultation will be open until 12 May 2023.
Why Peat Is So Important
Peat is a layer of partially decomposed organic matter on soil. It only occurs under certain circumstances. Waterlogging, a lack of oxygen, a high level of acidity and a lack of nutrients are needed for peat to form.
It can hold more carbon than forests, which means peat is vital for the health of our environment. Peatlands are able to store more carbon than the forests of Britain, France and Germany combined. This means peatlands are vital for our fight against climate change.
Because peat creates special conditions, it is habitat to many rare species. Biodiversity is important as it will keep our ecosystem intact. That’s why it is vital that we conserve and protect our peatlands.
Peat is also capable of holding huge amounts of water. These water retention capabilities are why it’s used in garden compost. It can hold up to 20 times its own weight in water. This makes it a great alley for water management and the prevention of floods.
With all these benefits, healthy peatlands are vital if we want to stop climate change and bring our earth back from the brink.
Why Scotland Wants To Ban The Sale Of Peat
A third of Scotland’s land area is covered by peatlands, which holds approximately 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon, according to the Scottish Government.
But they do so only when in good conditions. In bad conditions, peat areas will become a source of carbon emissions.
That’s why the Scottish Government has already invested £250 million for the restoration of 250,000 hectares of peatlands until 2030, the consultation document points out.
But restoration is only one part of the plan, so Holyrood also wants to ensure that Scottish peatland are protected. This will ensure that they can help combat climate change and halt the loss of nature and biodiversity.
Extracting peat will not only lead to carbon emissions, it also reduces the amount of peatlands Scotland has. And because it takes a long time to form peat, 10 years for 1cm of peat, extracting it is not sustainable.
That’s why the Scottish Government is set to ban the sale of peat. The main user of peat is the horticultural sector.
The consultation proposes to phase out peat in stages, starting with the retail horticultural sector. This means the sale of any form of peat to hobby or amateur gardeners will be banned first.
This sector uses about two thirds of all peat used in UK horticulture, according to the Scottish Government.
In the second stage, the peat sales will also be banned for professional horticulture. This stage could be a general ban on any sales of peat for any purpose.
Although the consultation document does not rule out exemptions, some of which would be time-limited to give industries the chance to transition to alternative products.
What Other UK Nations Say
The proposed ban would only cover peat sales in Scotland, but the other nations also have looked at this issue, which could lead to alignment to the Scottish peat policy.
England
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has already conducted a consultation on the ban of peat sales, which covered Engand and Wales.
In August 2022, Defra announced that it intended to bring in a ban on sales of peat and peat containing products in England. The ban is planned to come into effect in 2024 for amateur gardeners.
Professional growers will get a time-limited extension to source a workable alternative without jeopardising food production.
Wales
In line with Defra’s announcement for England, in December 2022, the Welsh Government has also announced its intention to ban the sale of peat in the horticultural sector.
92% of respondents to a public consultation have supported an overall ban on the sale of peat compost. A ban for the amateur sector is planned to be in place by the end of 2024.
The rest of the horticultural sector will follow as soon as possible after that date. The Welsh Government is working with the UK Government to implement this ban in Wales.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, plans are underway to revise the Draft Northern Ireland Peatland Stratgey to 2040. One action that was proposed during the consultation on the strategy was to conduct a review and publish key findings on peat extraction and the use of peat and peat products.
Any recommendations will be taken forward to inform future policy directions.
