Peatland Restoration (On Private Land)

EUKI project Building a European Peatlands Alliance aims to establish a comprehensive and enduring European alliance of national governments and stakeholders committed to peatland climate action.

This brochure outlines how restoring Peatlands through rewetting, halting drainage, and vegetation restoration can turn them back into valuable carbon sinks. Peatlands store more carbon than forests yet cover only 3-4% of Earth’s surface. However, 46% of European peatlands are degraded, releasing 582 million tons of CO₂ annually. Restoration involves assessing peatland types and degradation levels, with goals of raising water levels, reducing emissions, and enhancing biodiversity. Monitoring progress is crucial for securing financial benefits, such as carbon credits. Successful examples, like Germany’s MoorFutures and the UK’s Peatland Code, highlight financial viability. Healthy peatlands offer flood protection, improved water quality, and rare species habitats, but restoration requires cooperation and economic consideration. The initiative promotes the “Triple E” approach—ecology, economy, and education—for sustainable success.