Environmental campaigners have long called for stricter peatland restoration laws. As well as sequestering and storing carbon, peatlands provide habitat for some of the UK’s most endangered wildlife, as well as filtering water and preventing flooding downstream. But a combination of drainage for agricultural use, burning to create the right habitat for game birds and harvesting for compost means just 13% is in near-perfect condition. Overgrazing by both livestock and wild deer have also contributed to the problem. The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) said on Saturday that the sale of peat-based compost will be banned in garden centers and supermarkets within 18 months. In 2011, the government agreed that the horticulture industry should voluntarily put an end to peat use, but by 2021 it still accounted for 29.8% of commercially sold compost. A public consultation, which received 5,000 responses, found that 95% of people supported the ban and Defra admitted that the voluntary approach had not been successful. Packaged peat sold by retailers accounts for 70% of peat sold in the UK, according to Defra. He said that at this stage, the ban does not apply to those working in the horticulture trade and that a date for this will be decided after discussion with industry bodies in September. A spokeswoman for the department acknowledged that landowners would still have the right to extract peat, but said the ban would eventually reduce demand. He added that the government was looking to help mineral planning authorities, usually a department in a county council, unitary authority or national park, to modernize existing permits in order to end peat mining. The government aims to restore 35,000 hectares of peatlands by 2025 as part of its commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In addition to the recently announced ban, a further £11 million has been awarded to six projects working to restore 7,000 hectares of peatland. The money comes from the second round of funding from the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme, which is managed by non-departmental public body Natural England. The first round of funding provided money to restore 8,000 hectares of peatlands. Environment Secretary Richard Bennion said: “The actions announced today mark a new chapter in the history of our iconic peatlands – ensuring their long-term health and vitality as part of our commitments to achieve net zero and deliver our 25-year environment . plan.” Natural England chairman Tony Juniper said: “This ban on the sale of peat-based compost and phasing out its use in other areas is an essential step towards protecting these valuable natural assets and reclaiming degraded areas . “ Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The RSPB welcomed the announcement but was concerned that the plans did not go far enough. Emma Marsh, executive director of digital technology and communications at the RSPB, said: “While we welcome this announcement, we are concerned that it falls short of the Climate Change Commission’s advice to end all peat use and extraction by 2023. “We are in the middle of a nature and climate emergency, and this is the kind of action we need to see, especially when there are many peat-free alternatives available. “It’s a good step in the right direction, but we need to see it followed up with more decisions that protect our precious peatlands.” Andy Jasper, head of gardens and parks at the National Trust, said: “This is very welcome news. For too long, the world’s precious climate-fighting peatlands have been eroded, so we are pleased to see the government taking action to ban the sale of peat to home gardeners. “Peat is much more useful to society in our uplands, bogs and hedgerows, where it stores huge amounts of carbon, nurtures wildlife, preserves archeology and acts as a flood defence, than in compost bags.” However, he said there was more work to be done and the government must now tackle the commercial use of peat. “We are calling for a clear timetable and a commitment to work with the wider horticultural sector to reduce dependency, promote innovative alternatives and accelerate the shift to a successful peat-free industry.” The ban only applies in England, as the sale of peat is a devolved matter. Wales is expected to introduce a similar ban by May 2024, but in Northern Ireland proposals to phase out peat compost sales by 2025 were rejected by the Peatland Strategy 2022-2040, published earlier this month. In Scotland, the SNP’s 2021 election manifesto promised to end the sale of “peat-related horticultural products”, but so far no date has been set for this.
