Current status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 6 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what policy measures it is considering in order to reach its commitment to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030.
Caring for our peatlands, and reducing peatland emissions, through protection, management and restoration is critical to mitigating and adapting to the linked climate and nature emergencies.
Restoring 250,000 hectares is a combination of restoration through drain blocking and bare peat restoration on upland blanket bogs but also requires interventions on herbivore control as well as other farm management interventions.
Through various on-going reform programmes across government and our commitment to consult on a carbon land tax on the largest estates, we are considering the regulatory and fiscal measures that could further incentivise peatland restoration and create the conditions to keep our peatlands in good condition.
Alongside this, work continues towards implementing a ban on the sale of peat in Scotland and we have established an expert group to develop the guidance and tools needed to inform decisions on windfarm development on peat.
We are also working hard with our delivery partners through the Peatland ACTION partnership to tackle the many barriers to upscaling peatland restoration in this relatively young sector.