Labour slates government’s delays on conserving ‘Britain’s rainforests’

Today the English and Welsh Governments announce a consultation on ending the sale of peat to amateur gardeners.

Currently around 70% of peat is sold to gardeners while 30% is used by commercial growers. The government has estimated that a ban on both uses could slash CO₂ emissions by 4 million tonnes over the next 20 years.

In 2010 a voluntary target was set to phase out the use of peat by amateur gardeners by 2020. Today, peat still accounts for a significant volume of the growing media sold by retailers and despite its initial aspirations, the voluntary targets set by the Government have been unsuccessful in changing the industry.

A similar target to end peat use in the professional sector by 2030 looks set to be missed, with peat still accounting for around 41% of the growing media used in horticulture overall.

The UK’s peatlands are of immeasurable importance, storing as much carbon as the forests of the UK, Germany and France combined.

However, 80% of these vital habitats are now degraded. The extraction of peat for horticulture contributes to this by stripping peatlands of vegetation, exposing peat to the atmosphere and allowing carbon dioxide to be released in massive quantities.

Ailis Watt, peat officer for The Wildlife Trusts has said in light of the news: “The commercial extraction of peat for horticulture is not only unnecessary, but severely limits the natural ability of peatlands to deliver benefits for people, wildlife and the planet.

“Though this new consultation on the ban of peat composts and other products in the amateur sector is a step in the right direction, the measures proposed only scratch the surface of the problem. We need to end the use of peat in horticulture entirely – with immediate effect, not wait until 2024 as the UK Government proposes – if we are to restore these damaged habitats, allow nature to return and enable them to store carbon rather than emit it.

“This is primarily a consultation about people’s personal use of peat; a forgone opportunity to address the problems facing the UK’s peatlands at the scale we desperately need.

“This is an urgent task – there is no time left to waste if peatlands are to play their part in limiting climate change to the UK Government’s stated aim of a 1.5°c increase. On top of this, the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, so protecting our incredibly biodiverse peatlands has never been of greater importance.”

Responding to the Government’s consultation, Labour’s Shadow Environment Secretary Jim McMahon MP argued: “The nature emergency demands action.

“Peatlands have suffered degradation for decades not just from being dug up to supply horticulture, but also by being drained and burned. Healthy peatlands – often called ‘Britain’s rainforests’ – support rich biodiversity, trap many times the carbon stored by forests, and help slow and prevent downstream flooding.

“But the Conservative Government have delayed and limited action, they have committed to protecting only 40% of England’s blanket bogs from rotational burning.

“On horticultural peat, gardening experts, conservationists and scientists have said the Government’s goal of a voluntary phaseout by 2020 was an ‘abject failure’, with the amount of peat sold actually rising as people turned to gardening in lockdown. That they are only just consulting on a ban lays bare their lack of commitment.

“In contrast to the Conservatives’ delay and empty promises, Labour has pledged a net zero and nature test for every policy, investing £28 billion of capital a year to 2030 to meet the challenge of the climate and nature emergency head on, create certainty for business and provide leadership to seize the opportunities for the UK.”