Peatland Programme Director Clifton Bain today told Members of the Scottish Parliament that restoring peatlands now would help meet early climate change targets.
Giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee, for their examination of the Government's proposed climate change targets for 2010-2022, Clifton Bain said:
"The proposed savings in the next five years from the Scottish annual targets are about 8.5 million tonnes of CO2. Just meeting the biodiversity target for blanket bog in Scotland offers 2.7 million tonnes of CO2 savings in those five years, which is significant".
He also highlighted that restoring peatlands is not an alternative to anything else — we must do all the fossil fuel reductions as well — but would help meet targets sustainably, by helping deal with water quality and flooding issues, bringing local economic benefits, improving the countryside for tourism, and conserve biodiversity.
ENDS
Notes
- The IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) UK Peatland Programme exists to promote peatland restoration in the UK and advocates the multiple benefits of peatlands through partnerships, strong science, sound policy and effective practice. The work of the Peatland Programme is overseen by a coalition of environmental bodies including the Scottish Wildlife Trust, John Muir Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB, North Pennines AONB, Moors for the Future and the University of East London. The Programme is funded by the Peter De Haan Charitable Trust.
- For a full transcript of the evidence session, click here.
