Peatland ACTION is a national programme to restore peatlands across Scotland.
It is led and funded by Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with NatureScot, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Scottish Water, and Forestry and Land Scotland.
In April 2019 The Scottish Government lead the nation in declaring a global climate emergency. In recognition that peatland restoration offers a clear nature-based solution to both the climate crisis and biodiversity loss the Scottish Government announced, early the following year, a multi-annual investment in peatland restoration of more than £250 million up to 2030.
What have we achieved?
Since 2012 The Peatland ACTION Programme has set over 43,000 ha of degraded peatland on the road to recovery.
Infographic depicting restoration progress delivered by the Peatland ACTION Programme between 2012 and 2023
Click for a full description
Bar chart showing hectares delivered by the Peatland ACTION Programme between December 2012 and end of March 2023.
Horizontal (x) axis shows financial year e.g. 2012-13 meaning March 2012 to March 2013
Vertical (y) axis shows the number of hectares on the road to recovery.
Excavator graphic showing the total for the programme = >43,000 hectares
Peat bog graphic showing the Scottish Government cumulative target of 250,000 hectares to be delivered by 2023.
Data: 2012-13 = 270 ; 2013-14 = 420 ; 2014-15 = 5570 ; 2015-16 = 2810 ; 2016-17 = 450 ; 2017-18 = 3660 ; 2018-19 = 5810 ; 2019-20 = 6000 ; 2020-21 = 5658 ; 2021-22 = 5637 ; 2022-23 = ca. 7502
Sequence of images showing Scottish Government peatland restoration target and Peatland ACTION progress milestones (2023).
Image gallery descriptions for sequence of images showing Scottish Government peatland restoration target and Peatland ACTION progress milestones (2023).
Image one: Contractors heading out to a peatland restoration site on an All Terrain Vehicle with caption saying "Peatland restoration target of 250,000 hectares by 2030".
©Lorne Gill/NatureScot
Image two: Silhouette of a digger on an upland Peatland ACTION restoration site with a loch in the background.
With the caption saying Peatland ACTION restoration progress milestones over 43,000 hectares on the road to restoration since 2012.
Published August 2023. Data is subject to change as projects are completed and data verified.
©R.J.Cooper – Peatland ACTION / LL&TNPA
Image three: Machine operator re-profiling a bare peat hag and caption saying "NatureScot Peatland ACTION restoration progress milestones 5,000 hectares on the road to restoration in 2022-23".
©R.J.Cooper – Peatland ACTION / LL&TNPA
Awards
- RSPB's Nature of Scotland Awards - Nature and Climate Action - Finalist (2020)
- The Project won the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management’s Best Practice Large Scale Nature Conservation Award in 2016;
- RSPB’s Nature of Scotland Awards - Innovation Award - Winner (2015)
Cairngorms Peatland Restoration Project wins RSPB Innovation Award
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