MPs examine peatland protection and burning ban
On Wednesday, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee will examine the rich world of peatlands.
Holding up to one-third of the world’s soil carbon – twice that of the world’s forests – peatlands are vital wetland ecosystems that can store greenhouse gases for millennia. In the UK, peatlands store around 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon and help to protect landscapes from drought and flooding. Last year’s Environmental Improvement Plan committed to restoring 250,000 hectares of peatland in England by 2050.
Meeting details
However, 80% of England’s peatlands are currently degraded and one study in 2025 placed the UK only twelfth for peatland protection out of 28 countries with at least 15,000 km2. This leaves them vulnerable to damage from livestock grazing, farming and pollution.
In the session, MPs will explore the current health of the UK’s peatlands and consider how they contribute to the UK’s climate and nature goals. They are likely to ask witnesses about Government policies on peat, such as the commitment to ban the sale of horticultural peat and expansion of the ban on burning peat.