Peat-Free Partnership

Our peat extraction counter has surpassed 200,000 cubic metres. This is our estimate for how much peat has been extracted in the UK alone since the start of 2025 - and it's only March. There's no other way to put it: we need legislation now if we're going to get all the peat out of gardening. We must prevent further industry uncertainty, ecological destruction, and carbon emissions. It's time to #EndPeatSales. See the live count ??peatfreepartnership.org.uk #PeatFree

Our new blog post discussing the importance of quality controls for peat-free products is up now! Quality controls benefit both the customer and the business. In conversation with Jayne Horswill-Walsh of Evergreen Garden Care, we get a glimpse of the horticulture industry's enthusiasm to make change ?? Read the blog here: https://lnkd.in/ewRmak2Y #PeatFree #Horticulture #Gardening

Let's bust another #PeatFree myth: "If we ban peat, it will continue to be exported..." This isn't true. ?? Trade issues do complicate the question of peat. Issues with the Internal Markets Act (IMA) in particular mean it's difficult for devolved governments to act independently. ?? We responded to the government's recent consultation on the IMA by calling for blanket exemptions on environmental issues so devolved governments can take action to protect nature. ??? We also contributed to the @Scottish Environment LINK report "The Internal Markets Act: a challenge for devolution", published in January. You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/epxkmrNm We need to address trade issues, but this doesn't mean we have to slow down in achieving legislation to end the sale and supply of peat for horticulture. It's possible to secure legislation this year, and to protect our peatlands we must deliver.

The Seventh Carbon Budget is out - with no mention of extraction. Here's our take ?? ? The recommendation for large-scale peatland restoration is welcome! The report suggests that more than half of land use emissions reductions by 2040 will come from restoring peatlands. To do so, it suggests that the area of peatland rewetted or restored to natural conditions must be increased from 26% to at least 55%. ?? Recognising the importance of lowland peat for its high rate of emissions is key. Although they are smaller, they should be more of a focus in our conversations about peat, as agricultural sites and areas of deep extraction for horticulture. Currently only 9% of lowland peat is in natural or rewetted condition, compared to 30% of upland peat. ?? Although peatlands are a huge issue in agriculture, extraction for horticulture is still happening. We can't allow that to continue without undermining peat restoration efforts. So while a focus on restoration is good, it must be delivered alongside legislation to end peat sales to take peat extraction off the table. We're disappointed to see this go unsaid. Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/eriyVFBg

Gardeners and growers can make a big difference to the planet by choosing #PeatFree compost - but online talk about peat-free might not be seen by the average gardener who's popping down to their local garden centre. Now there’s a clear, expert guide, developed by leading horticultural organisations to help you grow sustainably and make the transition to peat-free with confidence. Our advocate Sally Nex has written a new blog post talking all about this new guide and how it can help with peat-free gardening! Check out the new blog to read how this will help protect our peatlands and make #PeatFreeSuccess a reality for gardeners everywhere ?? https://lnkd.in/e8uFDM3t

Does our new website work for you? We'd love to know what kind of content you'd like to see more of! Do you love our blog updates featuring partnership members? Do you want more facts and figures, or deep-dives into legislation? Vote below, or leave a comment letting us know what you'd like us to share on our new website ?? ICYMI: we have a new website up where you can explore resources about going peat-free, view a timeline of legislative efforts to end the sale of horticultural peat, and an Extraction Counter which shows how much peat is extracted daily. Check out what's already up here: peatfreepartnership.org.uk

A new study led by researchers at the Wildlife Conservation Society shows only 17% of global peatlands are protected. Here's the key points ?? ?? 0.68 out of 4.02 million km2 of global peatlands lie within protected areas - that's 17%. Of these, just over half receive strict protections, while the remainder are sites with loose protections or multiple purposes. ?? In the UK, 41% of peatland is protected, with around 7000 km2 under strict protection. Despite our relatively small land area, we are 12th in the world for size of peatland area. ??? Only 11% of boreal peatlands are within protected areas, while 27% of tropical and temperate peatlands are covered. A higher proportion of temperate peatlands receive strict protection - 16% compared to 8% for tropical and boreal peatlands. ?? Indigenous peoples' land holds 27% of global peatlands. The majority of these - more than 85% - are not covered by any other formal protections. Partnerships between conservation organisations and indigenous people must continue to be strengthened, as local participation improves environmental outcomes and relationships. ?? We need better data and mapping of global peatlands to effectively protect them. Differences between mapped protected areas and on-the-ground action are holding us back. The Guardian quotes the study's first author, Dr Kemen Austin, describing peatlands as a "carbon bomb" - because peat takes so long to form, once the carbon is released, we can't go back. The timescales needed for climate action are short and so we must act now to secure protection for our #peatlands. Taking time out of your day to go to our website and contact your local politician is one thing you can do right now to protect peatlands. Ask them to support the bill to #EndPeatSales - for the benefit of us all! ?? Do so at https://lnkd.in/eYQsP7MW

Do you want to learn more about peat-free? Maybe the role that your business or local authority could take in protecting peatlands? Look no further: our new website is now live! ?? ?? You might notice one big difference: our Extraction Counter. This counter on our homepage uses data from the Horticultural Trades Association and the Wildlife Trust to display the volume of peat extracted daily, the tonnes of carbon dioxide released, and the volume of peat extracted since the UK government missed their own target at the end of 2024. All your favourite blogs from our previous website are still up, as well as some new dedicated pages targeted at home gardeners, industry growers, and local authorities. More and more content will be added as time goes on so bookmark it now for a growing library of peat-free resources! peatfreepartnership.org.uk

Happy Friday! Here’s a sneak peak of what the Peat-free Partnership team have been up to this week… ?? We’re all looking forward to the debut of our new website, coming next week! The new site will feature updated content tailored for individuals, businesses, and local authorities looking to go peat-free, and new features like our Extraction Counter which estimates the amount of peat extracted daily in the UK. ?? We’re on our way to filming our Hort Shorts series which will debut in spring. This series aims to show off our amazing partners and other organisations who are taking action for a peat-free future, through interviews and shots of their business. ?? We’re continuing to meet with our advocacy groups to get on with the day-to-day work in all four nations. With upcoming elections in Scotland and Wales next year, we’re looking for opportunities to talk about peat as manifestos are being prepared… Over the weekend, the team will be heading into London to hang out with friends, out walking in the Somerset Levels, tackling a new compost bin, and spending lots of time with our various dogs ?? For my conservation and advocacy folks, remember it’s work hard/rest hard so you’re ready for action when you need to be ??

The 2nd reading of MP Sarah Dyke’s bill aiming to #EndPeatSales in the UK has been delayed. Due to read today, it will not be heard by MPs until spring or early summer. This is another disappointing delay in transitioning to #peatfree, which is desperately needed to protect peatlands from extraction. ?? At a round table on January 22nd which aimed to prepare for the 2nd reading, industry professionals agreed that the uncertainty around dates for peat legislation is making it difficult for businesses to plan for the future. ?? Dyke says voluntary targets set in 2011 have not worked in getting the industry to become peat-free – The 2020 target was missed by around 2.29 million cubic metres according to the HTA Growing Media Assessment. ?? Extracting peat destroys habitats, removing spaces for at-risk species including many of the UK’s birds. Huge amounts of CO2 are emitted during peat extraction, with implications for reaching our climate targets. We need to stop moving the goalposts and introduce legislation that helps our growers transition to a #peatfree future. The Peat-free Partnership is continuing to push for legislation, and we hope this bill will see its second reading soon!