Development affecting peat is controlled through the Town and Country Planning system. The National Planning Policy Framework contains strong protections for habitats of environmental importance which planning authorities are expected to regard in their decision making.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Around 75% of the area which still supports blanket bog vegetation is already protected from development via a range of statutory conservation designations. Of the remaining area of lowland raised bog which still supports semi-natural vegetation, around 85% is protected.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) protects irreplaceable habitat from development within its remit, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons to allow it. Whether individual peat moss sites are irreplaceable is a matter of judgement for local authorities to determine when considering applications. Sites are irreplaceable when it is technically very difficult (or would take a very significant time) to restore, recreate or replace once destroyed, taking into account the age, uniqueness, species diversity or rarity.

The NPPF also protected peatlands from development for minerals extraction by ending the granting of new licences for peat extraction.

The government is preparing a peatland strategy which will outline our approach.

Recently published Government research identified that the emissions from UK peatlands range from 18.5 to 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year. Peatland restoration is therefore a key way to mitigate emissions and will play an important role in achieving net carbon neutrality in the UK. We will publish an England Peat Strategy later this year which will set out our approach to protecting and restoring peat.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only, unless otherwise stated.

Emissions of greenhouse gases from peat extraction in the UK in 2017, were an estimated 337,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. Commercial extraction in England is licenced on approximately 664 hectares of peatland, across 29 sites.

The National Planning Policy Framework, first published in 2012, ends the granting of new licences for peat extraction. Therefore, peat extraction in England will end when the remaining licences come to an end. We are also continuing to focus on reducing demand for peat in horticulture in England. This not only protects UK peat bogs, but recognises that two thirds of the peat sold in the UK is imported from the rest of Europe. In the 25 Year Plan for the Environment we signalled to the industry that if we have not seen sufficient movement to peat alternatives by 2020, then we would take further measures. We are discussing what these potential further measures could look like.

The Government is also working with the industry to make the transition to peat alternatives, and to overcome the barriers to their use. For example, we are jointly funding research with the industry to overcome barriers to peat replacement in professional horticulture. We have also worked with the industry to develop a Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media, which allows manufacturers and retailers to make informed choices of growing media inputs to amateur/retail products, based on environmental and social impacts.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only, unless otherwise stated.

Emissions of greenhouse gases from peat extraction in the UK in 2017, were an estimated 337,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. Commercial extraction in England is licenced on approximately 664 hectares of peatland, across 29 sites.

The National Planning Policy Framework, first published in 2012, ends the granting of new licences for peat extraction. Therefore, peat extraction in England will end when the remaining licences come to an end. We are also continuing to focus on reducing demand for peat in horticulture in England. This not only protects UK peat bogs, but recognises that two thirds of the peat sold in the UK is imported from the rest of Europe. In the 25 Year Plan for the Environment we signalled to the industry that if we have not seen sufficient movement to peat alternatives by 2020, then we would take further measures. We are discussing what these potential further measures could look like.

The Government is also working with the industry to make the transition to peat alternatives, and to overcome the barriers to their use. For example, we are jointly funding research with the industry to overcome barriers to peat replacement in professional horticulture. We have also worked with the industry to develop a Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media, which allows manufacturers and retailers to make informed choices of growing media inputs to amateur/retail products, based on environmental and social impacts.

The last assessment of CO2 emissions from peat extraction in the UK is for 2017. An estimated 337,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents were emitted from peat extraction. This is made up of on-site emissions from the decomposition of drained peat in situ, and off-site emissions from the decomposition of the removed peat. The emissions from the use of energy for the processing and removal of peat is not available.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only, unless otherwise stated.

Emissions of greenhouse gases from peat extraction in the UK in 2017, were an estimated 337,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. Commercial extraction in England is licenced on approximately 664 hectares of peatland, across 29 sites.

The National Planning Policy Framework, first published in 2012, ends the granting of new licences for peat extraction. Therefore, peat extraction in England will end when the remaining licences come to an end. We are also continuing to focus on reducing demand for peat in horticulture in England. This not only protects UK peat bogs, but recognises that two thirds of the peat sold in the UK is imported from the rest of Europe. In the 25 Year Plan for the Environment we signalled to the industry that if we have not seen sufficient movement to peat alternatives by 2020, then we would take further measures. We are discussing what these potential further measures could look like.

The Government is also working with the industry to make the transition to peat alternatives, and to overcome the barriers to their use. For example, we are jointly funding research with the industry to overcome barriers to peat replacement in professional horticulture. We have also worked with the industry to develop a Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media, which allows manufacturers and retailers to make informed choices of growing media inputs to amateur/retail products, based on environmental and social impacts.

We are working with the industry to put in place a replacement for our previous monitoring of peat use in growing media, which last reported in 2016.

The 2016 report showed that peat use in 1) the amateur sector (2020 target) was down 21% in 2015 compared to 2011, and 2) the professional grower sector (2030 target) was down 26% since 2011. Nevertheless, whilst progress had been made in reducing peat use, it appears to be stalling.

We stated in the 25 Year Plan for the Environment that if by 2020 we have not seen sufficient movement to peat alternatives, we will look at introducing further measures. We have been discussing how we should judge what constitutes “sufficient movement” away from peat use and what potential further measures could look like. These discussions are ongoing.

We are working with the industry to put in place a replacement for our previous monitoring of peat use in growing media, which last reported in 2016.

The 2016 report showed that peat use in 1) the amateur sector (2020 target) was down 21% in 2015 compared to 2011, and 2) the professional grower sector (2030 target) was down 26% since 2011. Nevertheless, whilst progress had been made in reducing peat use, it appears to be stalling.

We stated in the 25 Year Plan for the Environment that if by 2020 we have not seen sufficient movement to peat alternatives, we will look at introducing further measures. We have been discussing how we should judge what constitutes “sufficient movement” away from peat use and what potential further measures could look like. These discussions are ongoing.

We are working with the industry to put in place a replacement for our previous monitoring of peat use in growing media, which last reported in 2016.

The 2016 report showed that peat use in 1) the amateur sector (2020 target) was down 21% in 2015 compared to 2011, and 2) the professional grower sector (2030 target) was down 26% since 2011. Nevertheless, whilst progress had been made in reducing peat use, it appears to be stalling.

We stated in the 25 Year Plan for the Environment that if by 2020 we have not seen sufficient movement to peat alternatives, we will look at introducing further measures. We have been discussing how we should judge what constitutes “sufficient movement” away from peat use and what potential further measures could look like. These discussions are ongoing.