Conference 2025: Day 1 programme

Tuesday 30^th September: Plenary sessions (live streamed: purchase online tickets)

8am – 9am              Exhibition set up (Rafters Suite)

9am – 11am             Delegate registration (Drawing Room) & poster set up (First Floor Lounge)

10.15am                    Refreshments (Clock Tower Suite)

Please ensure you’re seated by 10.50am

11am – 12pm          Conference welcome and introduction (Grand Ballroom)

Chaired by Jane Akerman, Programme Manager, IUCN UK Peatland Programme

11am                        Poetry reading: Angeline Kelly (King), poet and Education Officer, Seamus Heaney HomePlace

11.10am                    IUCN UK Peatland Programme welcome and updates: Jane Akerman, Programme Manager, IUCN UK Peatland Programme

11.25am                    Keynote video addresses

11.35am                    Welcome address: Julie Thompson, Head of Environment, Marine and Fisheries Group, DAERA

11.45am                    Northern Ireland’s Peatland Strategy and current initiatives: Mark Preston, Head of Peatland Policy Team, DAERA                                  

12pm – 1pm             Lunch (Clock Tower Suite)

Please ensure you’re seated by 12.55pm

1pm – 2.30pm          Peatlands Without Borders: Why Global Action Matters (Grand Ballroom)

The UK peatland community is part of a growing number of nations calling for greater understanding, protection and restoration of peatland ecosystems. This session will showcase the IUCN UK Peatland Programme’s role on the international stage, including the development of a Red List for peatland ecosystems and the forthcoming IUCN World Conservation Congress, where we are calling for the adoption of a motion to develop a unified global definition of peat and peatlands. Hear from our partners at the UN Environment Programme-led Global Peatlands Initiative about the outcomes from Ramsar COP15, and explore peatlands around the globe with our Virtual Peatlands Pavilion and international speakers.

Chaired by Emma Hinchliffe, Director, IUCN UK Peatland Programme

Speakers 

Emma Hinchliffe, Director, IUCN UK Peatland Programme

Richard Lindsay, Peatland Consultant, Richard Lindsay Environment Arts and Letters

Juan Carlos Vasquez, Head of the Biodiversity, People, and Landscape Unit, United Nations Environment Programme

Marko Kohv, Research Fellow, University of Tartu

Māra Pakalne, LIFE PeatCarbon Project Manager, University of Latvia

Jim McAdam, Professor (Hon), Queen’s University Belfast

2.30pm                      Refreshments (Clock Tower Suite)

Please ensure you’re seated by 2.55pm

3pm – 4.30pm          Water Connections: Bridging Science, Policy and Practice for a Resilient Future (Grand Ballroom)

This plenary session will spotlight the critical role of peatlands in the UK water environment, bringing together leading scientists with water industry and statutory representatives to explore how evidence-based research can inform and transform policy. Through rapid-fire lightning talks, experts will present headline findings - such as how well-managed peatlands can reduce flood peaks and improve water quality - followed by a chaired panel discussion delving into the policy implications. The session aims to drive forward conversations around water security, peatland conservation, and the commitments needed from all four UK nations. It will also explore opportunities for innovation, highlight knowledge gaps, and consider how current policy frameworks support or hinder integrated water and peatland outcomes.

Chaired by Rob Stoneman, Director of Landscape Recovery, Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and Co-chair, IUCN UK Peatland Programme

Speakers

David Smith, Natural Resources Manager, South West Water

Philip Jordan, Professor of Catchment Science, University of Ulster

Raymond Flynn, Reader in the School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast

Florence Renou-Wilson, Senior Lecturer and Principal Investigator, University College Dublin

Additional panel members

Jake White, Team Leader, National Peatland Action Programme, Natural Resources Wales

Katharine Birdsall, Senior Peatland Advisor, Environment Agency

4.30pm – 5.30pm    Break / Refreshments (Clock Tower Suite)

5.30pm – 6.30pm    Peatland Bingo (Rafters Suite & First Floor Lounge)

Join our informal networking session to get to know fellow delegates and win some peatland-themed prizes.

6.30pm – 9.30pm    Poster and exhibition session (Rafters Suite & First Floor Lounge)

Visit our exhibition stands and poster display to learn more about the research, restoration and engagement taking place across the UK peatland community. The IUCN UK Peatland Programme stand will also host a Peatland Code drop-in session.

6.30pm                      Drinks reception (Clock Tower Suite)

7pm                            Buffet dinner (Clock Tower Suite)