Moorland peatland restoration project reduces carbon emissions on areas of bare peat by 60%

Across the UK's uplands significant work has been going on to restore peatland.

There are few better examples of this peatland restoration than at the Abbeystead Estate in Lancashire, where it has delivered lasting social and environmental benefits by reducing the risk of flooding to better protect communities downstream as well as helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Surveys carried out on the estate showed there were 39.2 hectares of bare peat. Over 78% of these areas have been restored, enabling the levels of CO2 emissions they capture to be increased by over 60% annually.

Environment Agency research has shown that water runoff from treated areas has already been reduced by 50%, slowing the flow into the headwaters of the catchment and alleviating any risk of flooding downstream.

This is a remarkable achievement that further reinforces the benefits that proactive and often privately managed moorlands can bring.

We encourage everyone to watch this short video with Moorland Technician, Rob Foster, as he explains the environmental benefit that the work at Abbeystead is having.