Green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi). Credit Pete Quinn
About Us
Our vision is one of healthy, wildlife-rich peatlands in the UK that provide multiple benefits for people.
Who we are
The IUCN UK Peatland Programme was established in 2009 to promote peatland restoration in the UK and advocates the multiple benefits of peatlands through partnerships, strong science, sound policy and effective practice.
We are currently hosted by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and are part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) National Committee UK.
"The IUCN is a powerful Union for sustaining life and livelihoods. IUCN is a democratic membership Union which brings together the world’s most influential organisations in a combined effort to conserve nature and accelerate the transition to sustainable development."
IUCN, 2019
Read Our Vision in full.
Our goals
Valued peatlands
The value of our peatlands is better understood and prioritised for restoration and conservation.
To achieve this goal, we will:
- Provide a clear strategy so that everyone can work together towards healthy and protected UK peatlands that deliver for all society;
- Advocate for funding from both public and private sectors to support peatland restoration and sustainable management;
- Engage with a variety of audiences to increase awareness of the many benefits (link to benefits page) provided by peatlands to build support for their conservation, restoration and sustainable management.
Strong partnerships
Bring together scientists, practitioners, land managers and policy makers and all those who can help deliver strategic peatland goals.
To achieve this goal, we will:
- Nurture strong partnerships between peatland practitioners, environmental charities, land managers, scientists and policy makers to build scientific and practical knowledge of peatlands and their management;
- Build links with businesses to increase awareness of the societal benefits provided by peatlands and broaden support for their restoration and good management.
Action through knowledge exchange
Provide guidance and promote good practice for peatland management that is underpinned by scientific consensus and monitoring and is responsive to new evidence.
To achieve this goal, we will:
- Develop good practice management guidance;
- Showcase UK restoration to better inform good practice and create discussion;
- Provide policy advice based on scientific consensus;
- Share scientific evidence with an international community of scientists and practitioners to help further develop understanding.
Our objectives
- Inform policy and legislation at international, EU, UK and devolved country level to ensure effective conservation and restoration of peatlands and secure long-term funding and regulatory support for the sustainable management of peatlands.
- Champion peatlands and their plight to decision makers and the public by promoting their environmental, social, cultural and economic values.
- Improve knowledge and understanding of peatland conditions and their functions, particularly in relation to biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions and water management.
- Improve information sharing and knowledge exchange within the community of peatland practitioners, policy makers and researchers.
- Promote good practice within industry, the private landowning and business sector to help conserve peatlands and identify the economic opportunities for the private sector from peatland restoration.
Our partnership
The challenge of restoring and conserving peatlands is too big for just one organisation and there is no ‘one solution fits all’. We bring together environmental organisations, governments and national agencies, researchers and regional peatland partnerships to provide a collective voice for peatlands that is much greater than the sum of our parts.
Our Steering Group is currently made up of representatives from the following organisations:
Commission on Ecosystem Management
We are a member of the Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM), one of IUCN’s six Commissions. The CEM promotes ecosystem-based approaches for the management of landscapes and seascapes, provides guidance and support for ecosystem-based management and promotes resilient socio-ecological systems to address global challenges. Within CEM there are a number of specialist groups tackling issues relating to 14 broad ecosystem types. Our Director and Programme Manager currently lead the Peatland Ecosystems Specialist Group which aims to highlight the benefits of peatland ecosystems by bringing together an international network of peatland expertise and sharing events, opportunities and resources through the Union’s virtual community IUCN Engage.
You can find out more about how the IUCN National Committee works in the infographic on their Expert Working Groups webpage.
Funders
We currently receive a mix of funding support including: