HORTICULTURE PEAT ISSUES

IN THE UK AND GLOBALLY

Jack Rieley

Chair IPS Scientific Advisory Board

BACKGROUND • In the UK peat is a policy area that is devolved to the

country administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales while that for England is determined by Central Government in London.

• Since the early 1990s, successive UK Governments have sought to reduce the extraction and use of peat.

• The first target set in 1995 was to make the UK market for soil improvers and growing media 40% peat free by 2005.

• This was replaced by a more ambitious target to reduce horticultural use of peat by 90% by 2010.

• Neither targets were met although considerable progress was made.

• The latest proposal is to eliminate peat from the amateur horticulture market by 2020 and the professional sector by 2030.

DEFRA CONSULTATION • By 2009, sales indicated that 57.5% of horticultural

products consisted of or contained peat-free materials. This figure includes bark and other mulches that were already being used

• Soil improvers in the UK now contain very little peat and growing media manufacturers have invested heavily in technology to develop products to replace peat.

• Over the same period, however, the market grew by 30% so the amount of peat used had actually increased!

• DEFRA launched a consultation exercise in December 2010 that set out the rationale for future UK Government policy action to ensure the new targets are met.

RATIONALE BEHIND UK GOVERNMENT‟S POLICY ON PEAT

• The rationale is based on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for Lowland Raised Bogs and focusses on three peatland „values‟: biodiversity, carbon storage and historical (archaeological and palaeoenvironmental) information.

• According to DEFRA, of the original area of raised bogs in England (i.e. those from which peat is extracted for horticulture), only 1% remain „active‟, i.e. a mere 700 hectares (from a total of 67,000 ha)!

• DEFRA also states that, historically, peat excavation has affected more than 20% of UK raised bogs and links this to the destructive effect of horticulture and gardening.

• The reader is invited to conclude that one (peat excavation) has caused the other (99% degradation of raised bogs when it is not true!

BIODIVERSITY LOSSES FROM UK PEATLANDS

• The greatest losses of peatland biodiversity occurred in the past (over several centuries) when large areas were drained and converted to agriculture and forestry or were cut to provide peat for animal bedding (livestock and horses) and domestic fuel.

• It is incorrect to say that peat extraction for horticulture in the UK today is leading to loss of biodiversity.

• All remaining active raised bogs in England are protected under EU regulations and/or UK legislation.

• Whilst some small areas of degraded peatland are no longer available to support much wildlife (temporarily) they will support increased biodiversity when they are restored.

PEAT CARBON STORE IN UK RAISED BOGS AND CO2 EMISSIONS FROM PEAT USE IN HORTICULTURE ACCORDING TO DEFRA

• There are 57.5 million tonnes of carbon stored in England‟s raised bogs (equivalent to 210 MT CO2 or 40% of the UK annual emissions).

• In the UK 3 million cubic metres of peat are used for horticulture each year, enough to fill 19,000 double deck buses. This includes 68% of peat that is imported.

• According to the UK Greenhouse Inventory UK peat extraction results in annual emissions of around 400,000 tonne CO2.

• DEFRA equates this to emissions from 100,000 cars but it is equivalent to only 0.04-0.20% of total UK CO2 emissions.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION IN PEAT

• DEFRA informs that peat extraction has resulted in destruction of 230 archaeological sites over the last 50 years (not only for horticulture).

• Without removal of peat these would not have been found.

• DEFRA conclude that some 1,000 sites still remain somewhere under raised bogs.

• DEFRA doesn‟t say that more than 10,000 archaeological sites have been destroyed/disturbed as a result of non peat extraction activities (e.g. agriculture, forestry, commercial and domestic peat cutting in the past for fuel and animal bedding etc)

• The DEFRA consultation paper contains many contradictory facts!

THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE UK

• The data that DEFRA present are ambiguous, confusing and sometimes incorrect but they say these cannot be challenged

• DEFRA gives the impression that peat extraction is the principal cause of degradation and disappearance of raised bogs in England at the present time. WRONG!!

• DEFRA makes it appear that peat extraction in England/UK is a major source of CO2. WRONG!!

• DEFRA doesn‟t mention the very large amount of CO2 being emitted from the 99% of degraded raised bogs and 90% of degraded blanket bogs in the UK – as much as 3 Mt CO2 yr

-1! • DEFRA states that peat extraction for horticulture is

causing loss of biodiversity. WRONG AGAIN!!

THE UK GOVERNMENT‟S NEW WHITE PAPER ON THE ENVIRONMENT

• PUBLISHED IN JUNE 2011; WRITTEN BEFORE THE PEAT IN HORTICULTURE CONSULTATION WAS CONCLUDED!

• ENTITLED: “The Natural Choice: Securing the Value of Nature”

• Goal is to enhance environment, economic growth and personal wellbeing.

• In the section on “protecting and improving our natural environment” it is stated that “the long-term aim is for peat use to be reduced to zero”. This is the only direct action proposed in the entire White Paper!

• Apparently, “this will contribute to the protection of important lowland peat habitats (both in the UK and overseas) and significant carbon stores”. WRONG!!

UK PEAT REDUCTION TARGETS AND MILESTONES

• 2015 for government and the public sector on direct procurement of peat in new contracts for plants;

• 2020 for a voluntary phase-out for amateur gardeners; and

• 2030 for a final phase-out target for professional growers of fruit, vegetables and plants;

• A Task Force consisting of representatives from across the supply chain will advise on how best to overcome the barriers to reducing peat use;

• 2015 to review progress and consider the potential for alternative policy measures if necessary.

• The support of the retail sector is essential.

• The UK Government will work closely with the devolved administrations and will push for ambitious but proportionate EU action on peat protection.

THE EU SITUATION • If the UK Government can stop the use of peat in

horticulture in England and extend this policy to the rest of the UK it is obvious they will have to promote this approach within the EU.

• Only 32% of the peat used in the UK comes from UK excavation sites and the remainder (68%) is imported, mostly from Ireland but also from some Baltic countries.

• Peat is an internationally traded commodity, subject to international treaties and without general agreement this cannot be prevented.

• There is no evidence to suggest that trade in peat and peat products will cease as a result of UK Government policy.

THE GLOBAL PICTURE

• Peat is an important resource throughout the EU and in other eastern European countries including Belarus and Russia where it is used more for energy than for horticulture.

• In North America, the main use of peat is in horticulture and Canada has a well-developed peat extraction industry that supplies both its domestic market and the USA.

• Peatlands are being drained and degraded across the world but nowhere more so than in Indonesia that has the fourth largest peatland area and in Malaysia, mostly to create plantations of oil palm and paper pulp trees.

• Annual global CO2 emissions from degrading peatlands could now be a staggering 3 billion tonnes every year

PEAT CARBON STORES

Region/country Gigatonne (Gt)1

Boreal and temperate zones 391 - 520

Tropical zone 89

Total global peat store 480 - 609

United Kingdom 1.75

England 0.58

1 109

PEATLAND USE EMISSIONS

Country Use Total country CO2

emissions (Mt)

Use emissions (Mt)

%

UK Peat extraction for horticulture

520 0.1 0.2 (0.8)

Malaysia Oil palm plantation

148 43 (86) 29 (58)

Indonesia Oil palm and pulp tree plantations

541 240 (2,000) 44 (370)

Annual global CO2 emissions from degraded and used peatlands = 3Gt

ANNUAL CO2 EMISSIONS IN UK Emissions 2009 Million tonnes (MT)2 %

Total UK 519.94

Non forested bogs 5.21 1

Agriculture on peat soil 5.13 1

Forested bogs 4.40 0.8

Peat extraction surfaces 0.081 0.02

Peat extraction 0.40 0.08

Total peatland 15.22 2.93

Extraction emissions of total peatland emissions

0.48 3.15

1 Surface emissions data from Joosten (2009) The Global Peatlands CO2 Picture 2 106

3 DEFRA estimated CO2 losses in extracted peat

CHAT MOSS, LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND

Strategy for Responsible Peatland Management

Formulation and implementation

Jack Rieley Chair IPS Scientific Advisory Board

05 October 2011 Jyväskylä, Finland 18

International Peat Society

a non-governmental and non-profit organisation of scientific, industrial

and regulatory members for all aspects of peatlands and peat

05 October 2011 Jyväskylä, Finland 19

Membership

• about 1,400 members from 29 countries

• platform to benefit both science and industry

• 19 National Committees, of which 15 in Europe, 2 in North America and 2 in South-East Asia

• largest membership base in Finland and Germany

• major work carried out by 10 Commissions open to all members

• financed by annual contributions from National Committees and industrial organisations

05 October 2011 Jyväskylä, Finland 20

Organisation

NEW: Comm IX: Tropical Peatlands Comm X: Peatlands and Climate Change

NEW: Malaysia

05 October 2011 Jyväskylä, Finland 21

IPS Secretariat

Tasks • administration • information centre for members and

non-members • library of IPS and related publications • organisation of IPS conferences,

meetings and excursions • project work

Staff

Mr. Jaakko Silpola, M.Sc. Agr. For.

Secretary General

e-mail: jaakko.silpola@peatsociety.org

Ms. Susann Warnecke, Dipl. Kfm. (FH)

Communications Manager

e-mail: susann.warnecke@peatsociety.org

Contact details

IPS Secretariat Vapaudenkatu 12 FIN-40100 Jyväskylä, Finland phone: +358 14 3385 440 fax: +358 14 3385 410 web: www.peatsociety.org

Strategy for Responsible Peatland Management

Formulation and implementation

Jack Rieley Chair IPS Scientific Advisory Board

Vision

Promoting Wise Use of peatlands through safeguarding their environmental, social and economic functions and respecting their local, regional and global values.

Donal Clarke, Helsinki, 25 November 2010

Aims of the Strategy • To promote responsible management of peat and

peatlands according to strategic objectives • To improve peatland management within the

framework of „Wise Use of Mires and Peatlands‟ • To Ensure that high conservation value peatlands

are conserved, „utilised‟ peatlands are managed responsibly and degraded peatlands are rehabilitated to restore ecological and landscape functions

Structure of the Strategy

Vision

Focus:

Values of and services provided by peatlands

Activities related to peatlands

Means of promoting Wise Use

Eight priorities

Strategic Objectives for each priority

Actions to deliver objectives

Monitoring performance

PROGRESS SO FAR AND OPPORTUNITIES

• Dutch peat chains (Netherlands) • CSPMA (Canada) • Defra consultation (UK) • EPAGMA Code of Practice (EU) • Guidelines for the practical application of wise use

(IPS) • Peat extraction companies • Peat energy companies • Peat horticulture companies • Peat product retail and wholesale companies

STRATEGY FOR ENHANCING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PEAT SUPPLY CHAIN

FOR DUTCH HORTICULTURE

• Exclude the use of peat extracted from high biodiversity value peatland

• Ensure that future extraction of peat is from degraded peatlands only, and if best practice measures are implemented

• Promote transparency in GHG emissions related to peat extraction and peat-based products, compensating for the CO2 footprint if there is industry willingness to do so

• Develop alternatives to peat in the long term

VERIFLORA® CERTIFIED PEATLAND PRODUCTS FOR THEIR RESPONSIBLE PEATLAND

MANAGEMENT IN CANADA

• Businesses in Canada wishing to harvest peat commercially are subject to the regulations in effect in their province

• The Certification for Responsible Peatland Management (CRPM) assures the application of good management practices in sustainable development

• The CRPM is ancillary to the VeriFlora® standard for sustainable development in horticulture

• The VeriFlora® standard and the Annex on CRPM are under the authority of Scientific Certification Systems, an independent certification agency

EPAGMA CODE OF PRACTICE FOR RESPONSIBLE PEAT MANAGEMENT

• Compliance with legislation

• Selection of peat production sites

• Peat production

• Stakeholder co-operation

• Peatland after-use

• Climate change mitigation

• Good governance

IPS GUIDELINES FOR THE PRACTICAL

APPLICATION OF WISE USE

• Guidelines for the application of Wise Use to land use planning decisions

• Decision Framework regarding the Wise Use of peat for horticulture

• Decision Framework regarding the Wise Use of peat for energy • Decision Framework regarding the Wise Use of peatlands for

agriculture • Decision Framework regarding the Wise Use of peatlands for

forestry • Decision Framework regarding the Wise Use of tropical peatlands • The application of Wise Use to decisions on protecting or

preserving peatlands • Guidelines for the restoration of peatlands

-MAKE SURE THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS MANAGED

RESPONSIBLY

DON‟T FEEL BAD ABOUT USING PEAT BUT-