Summary
This spatially explicit, globally comprehensive modelling study quantifies future peatland dynamics and associated greenhouse gas emissions under Paris Agreement-compatible mitigation pathways. The authors demonstrate that whilst peatlands comprise only 3% of global land area, they store twice as much carbon as global forest biomass, and their drainage for agriculture or bioenergy could undermine climate mitigation targets. The study concludes that achieving land-system carbon neutrality by 2100 requires concurrent protection of intact peatlands and rewetting of approximately 60% of presently degraded peatlands.
UK applicability
The United Kingdom contains significant peatland resources, particularly in Scotland, England's uplands, and Wales, which are subject to similar pressures from agriculture and land-use change. The findings support UK policy initiatives around peatland restoration as part of net-zero commitments, suggesting that domestic peatland protection and rewetting strategies are essential to reconcile food security with climate mitigation targets.
Key measures
Peatland area and carbon storage; CO₂ and other greenhouse gas emissions from peatland drainage and oxidation; land-use change projections; net carbon balance of the land system by 2100 under different peatland policy scenarios
Outcomes reported
The study modelled future peatland dynamics and associated greenhouse gas emissions under a 2°C climate mitigation pathway, projecting that rewetting approximately 60% of degraded peatlands alongside protection of intact peatlands would enable the land system to become a net carbon sink by 2100.
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