Intensified exchange for peatlands in Europe

On invitation of the Irish Government, government representatives from 6 European countries met in Dublin on 8th & 9th May 2023 to discuss deepening exchanges on appropriate policies and instruments for improved peatland protection in Europe. Peatlands play a major role as important carbon sinks and habitats for rare species across Europe, but 25% of them are degraded, and as much as 50% in EU Member States. This makes them sources of CO2, responsible for 7% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Various approaches are already being pursued at national and European level, such as the EU Nature Restoration Law with binding targets for peatland rewetting, which the EU Commission has presented. However, in order to meet the necessary targets, all good ideas and a broad knowledge of the distribution and status of peatlands in Europe are needed. Therefore, the Michael Succow Foundation, partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, represented by its Managing Director Jan Peters, was invited to Dublin to contribute perspectives from science and civil society. Together with EuroSite, CEEWeb and ELO, the Succow Foundation is implementing a project within the framework of the European Climate Initiative of the German Federal Government to build a knowledge and experience platform on peatlands for a reliable and long-term alliance of European governments and societal stakeholders. More information: https://www.euki.de/en/euki-projects/european-peatlands-alliance/