#PeatConf20: Day 1

Image courtesy of Welsh Peatland Sustainable Management Scheme (SMS) Project

#PeatConf20: Day 1

Conference welcome including Keynote address and UK Peatland Strategy overview:

#PeatConf20 Stuart Brooks

With taking strategic action to deliver peatland conservation and restoration in mind, over this four day event we will explore the vital role that healthy peatlands play in society’s adaptability, resilience and recovery as well as sharing progress made towards the UK Peatland Strategy goals. 

  •  Welcome to our 10th IUCN UK Peatland Programme Conference

Stuart Brooks, National Trust Scotland & IUCN UK National Committee

  •  Keynote address

Minister Rebecca Pow, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

  •  An overview of the UK Peatland Strategy

Emma Goodyer, IUCN UK Peatland Programme

 

 

UK Peatland Strategy progress: four country updates, including Q&A session: 

#PeatConf20 Country updates

 

This session will share four country updates on delivering the UK Peatland Strategy goals.

  • Country update: Wales

James Cooke, Welsh Government

  • Country update: Scotland

Andrew Coupar, NatureScot & Ben Dipper, Scottish Government

  • Country update: Northern Ireland

Sara McGuckin, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Natural Environment Division

  • Country update: England

David Hunter, Defra & Naomi Oakley, Natural England

 

 

Lunch-time viewing: 

#PeatConf20 Lunch viewing

 

Jim McAdam, Falkland Islands Trust & Queen's University Belfast

Marie Ferre, Emmanouil Tyllianakis, Julia Martin-Ortega - iCASP (Intergrated Catchment Solutions Programme).

 

 

Peatlands - A Global Future, including Q&A session: 

#PeatConf20 A Global Future

 

This session, the first of two, will share international peatland action in the UN Decade of Restoration and links to the biodiversity and climate crises.

Dianna Kopansky, Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI), UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

  • The role of UK peatlands in climate mitigation

Peter Coleman, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

  • Nature based solutions & biodiversity policy

Actions to address mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity loss and community resilience and well-being.

Ashton Berry, BirdLIFE International

 

 

Peatlands - A Global Future continued, including Q&A session: 

#PeatConf20 A Global Future continued

This session will explore balancing the benefits of peatlands and continue to share international peatland actions.

 

  • Balancing the many benefits of peatlands

Hans Schutten, Wetlands International

  • An update from South East Asia's peatlands

Faizal Parish, Global Environment Centre

  • Peatlands in Europe - state and condition

Franziska Tanneberger, Griefswald Mire Centre

  • Review of peatland policies across Europe

Niall O'Brolchain, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway

View video of Peat Slippage in Donegal, Ireland - November 2020