An update to the Peatland Code, including a separate guidance document, is now available.
Version 1.2 of the Peatland Code presents the requirements of the Peatland Code with supporting guidance alongside.
Projects can continue use version 1.1 of the Peatland Code until the 1st August 2022. From the 1st September all validations and verifications must happen against Peatland Code v1.2.
What has changed:
- Restoration validation step is now included
- If necessary, projects can start restoration work before Project Validation is in place, providing sufficient baseline evidence is demonstrated to the validation body. Projects are responsible for the risk of not achieving project validation.
- Project length: project length is linked to the depth of peat. The rule about how peat depth is surveyed has changed from a site average to a minimum of 75% of peat depth survey points within all assessment units now required to exceed the minimum peat depth needed for the project duration.
- There is now a separate guidance document alongside the Peatland Code to aid users.
Future updates to the Peatland Code will include reviewed emissions factors, taking into account the latest scientific evidence, and are expected to additional condition categories, including fens.
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) are satisfied that the Peatland Code v1.2. meets the requirements for conformity assessment schemes required by ISO/IEC 14065 and EA-1/22. UKAS will now look to accredit our validation/verification bodies against the Peatland Code. This phase is expected to complete in 2023.
