Peatland ACTION shortlisted for two major awards

4 October 2023

A Scottish Government-funded programme that offers landowners, farmers and crofters 100% funding and support to restore their damaged peatlands has been shortlisted for two prestigious Scottish awards.

Peatland ACTION, a partnership programme led by NatureScot, with Scottish Water, Forestry and Land Scotland and Scotland’s two National Park Authorities, has been shortlisted for an RSPB Nature of Scotland Award in the Landscape Restoration category, and for its work on Nature and the Environment for the Holyrood Climate Action Awards.

The Nature of Scotland Awards celebrate the inspirational people, projects, groups and organisations working hard to protect Scotland’s precious natural heritage. Peatland ACTION has put Scotland at the forefront of landscape-scale peatland restoration in Europe. By providing 100% funding, on-the-ground support, innovative techniques and technical know-how that are needed to successfully restore our peatlands, it plays a vital part in tackling Scotland’s biodiversity crisis.

Launched in 2021 to coincide with Glasgow as the host city of COP26, the Holyrood Climate Action Awards recognise key players across seven categories including technology, nature, community, and the circular economy who are making significant contributions to Scotland’s Net Zero journey. Healthy peatlands can capture and store ten times as much carbon as any other land-based habitat. The work that Peatland ACTION is doing with landowners has so far resulted in over 43,000 hectares of restoration work on damaged peatlands, giving it a significant role in helping Scotland achieve its net-zero target by 2045.

Commenting on being shortlisted, Peter Hutchinson, a NatureScot Peatland ACTION Programme Strategy Manager said: ‘One of Peatland ACTION’s main aims is to encourage land owners and managers to work with us to put more of Scotland’s damaged peatlands on the road to recovery. So we are delighted to be shortlisted for these awards. We hope this will encourage more people to understand the value of our peatlands and take action to restore and protect them.’

The Holyrood Climate Award winners are due to be announced on 8 November 2023, with the Nature of Scotland Awards announced at a ceremony on 22 November 2023.

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