Welsh peatlands are on the road to recovery thanks to a Welsh Government-funded action programme that has already surpassed its targets.
Set up by the Welsh Government in 2020, the National Peatlands Action Programme is delivered by Natural Resources Wales.
The five-year programme had ambitious targets of restoring 3,000 hectares of peatland – the equivalent of more than 3,000 rugby pitches.
Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who is responsible for the climate change portfolio, confirmed that targets had been met 12 months early.
These works have safeguarded more than 1.6 million tonnes of stored carbon, resulting in an estimated annual emissions reduction of 8,000 tonnes—the – equivalent to the emissions of 5,700 cars.
The Deputy First Minister said: “I am delighted to confirm that our ambitious peatland restoration targets for April 2025 have been met ahead of time. This is a huge step forward for climate and nature in Wales.
“Peatlands are so important. They store a quarter of all soil carbon in just four per cent of our land area, reduce the risk of wildfire and are vital for rare plant species like Sphagnum mosses, which play a critical role in flood and drought resilience and carbon sequestration.
“Wales is facing a climate and nature emergency and this work goes a long way to ensure these precious habitats can survive and adapt in a changing climate.
“Congratulations to everyone involved in this work, and I’m looking forward to following the fifth restoration season to see just how much further we can go.”
Mannon Lewis, NRW’s Strategic Projects Manager who heads the National Peatland Action Programme, said: “Peatlands are our most valuable land resource for carbon storage, and their restoration is an effective nature-based solution to address the Nature and Climate emergencies.
“The restoration of peatland biodiversity is a critical aspect of nature recovery and secures effective long storage of carbon and the regulation of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere, as well as other ecosystem benefits.
“In addition to the hectares delivered, the National Programme has provided the strategic leadership needed by partners working across Wales to plan for the acceleration of delivery into the future.”
Some Peatlands in Wales are over 10,000 years old and contain the historic environmental record for Wales.
They filter and supply drinking water into our reservoirs, and significant volumes of drinking water start their journey in upland peat bogs.
Other peatland projects, including those funded through EU LIFE, National Parks, Heritage Lottery and landowners, have complemented the action programme’s work.
Collectively, these have delivered restoration activity across a further 1,000 hectares since 2020.
You can learn more about the National Peatland Action Programme here: Natural Resources Wales / The National Peatland Action Programme
