Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust discuss peat extraction’s contribution to the decline of peatlands ahead on debate in parliament

Peatlands are unique habitats capable of storing twice as much carbon as forests, writes Erin McDaid of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

Sadly, peat extraction for gardening and growing directly contributes to the decline of peatlands, worsening both the nature and climate crises.

Given the importance of peatlands, we find ourselves in somewhat ironic situation whereby the Government is funding peat restoration projects in order to meet its legally binding environmental and climate targets while continuing to allow commercial extraction.

Somerset is one of only two places in England both extraction and Government funded restoration are taking place, suggesting it is time to bring damaging extraction for use in horticulture to an end.

Last year, as a result of the UK Government's pledged peat legislation failing to materialise, former Environment Secretary and Conservative MP Theresa Villiers introduced a Private Members' Bill to Parliament — although this Bill passed a first reading, the second reading was abandoned when the general election was called, and no parliamentary time has since been given to proceed with this Bill by the Labour Government.

Back in November, Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Dyke put forward the Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill, which passed its first reading. This Bill is scheduled to discussed in more detail at its second reading on Friday January 24.

Given that 95% of people are in favour of the Government banning retail peat sales, The Wildlife Trusts want to see this Bill reach the next stage of the parliamentary process — but to make this happen we need public support.

We recognise that many people are unsure about how worthwhile contacting their MP might be, and some people also feel a little daunted by the prospect of reaching out to their representative on issues they care about.

However, when constituents like you engage with decision makers about issues such as peat, it is possible to convince even sceptical MPs to take action. Contacting your Member of Parliament is a great opportunity to help deliver tangible action on peat extraction and the ongoing degradation of our remaining peatlands.

Put simply – you need to let your MP know that two years ago, the last Government promised to ban the sale of horticultural peat to amateur gardeners by 2024 and despite 95% of people supporting it, the promised legislation never materialised.

To back up your concern you could highlight that habitat destruction is a key driver of species decline and the ongoing failure to protect peatlands is hampering the UKs ability to tackle climate change. Emissions from degraded peatlands make up 4% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Remind them that The Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill, tabled by Sarah Dyke MP, presents the Government with a perfect opportunity to deliver the promised ban.

Feel free to highlight that The Wildlife Trusts are supporting the Bill – and urge them to support the Bill and make this a priority to end the destructive horticultural peat trade.

Your MPs details can be found at: members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

In addition to emailing your MP, you could contact the Government and key ministers via social media. Despite their being active debate about the direction ‘X’ might be going in, it is still a useful platform for engaging MPs – so you could post something along the lines of:

‘Dear @UKLabour, I want you to legislate to keep peat in the ground and out of our gardens by supporting @CllrDyke's Horticultural Peat (Prohibition of Sale) Bill! #BogsNotBags @SteveReedMP @Keir_Starmer’

For maximum impact we’re calling for people to take these actions in advance of the 24th of January – but beyond the parliamentary process there are other ways to help.

Gardeners can switch to peat free alternatives for growing plants and as consumers we can enquire in supermarkets and shops about how items such as mushrooms, bagged salads and potted herbs are grown.

In addition to asking directly you can also support the plight of peatlands by signing The Wildlife Trusts’ open letter to retailers.

The letter demands that they share their plans for moving to peat-free alternatives beyond compost and plug plants; and tells them that you want to see clearer labelling for peat-containing products. The letter can be signed at wildlifetrusts.org/peat-inspectors-open-letter-retailers

For too long, peatlands have been the poor relation when it comes to people saving wildlife habitats.

By taking action, you can help put this right. If more of us send a clear message that peat belongs in bogs, not bags – we can protect and restore these precious wild places, boosting their ability to protect us from the impacts of climate change and ensuring a better future for the species they support.

For more details about our Hidden Peat campaign, including how you can become a ‘Peat Inspector’ visit: nottinghamshirewildlife.org/precious-peatlands

What are your thoughts? Let us know.