Peatlands: Investing in the Future - Tuesday 1st October
Over 200 delegates (above) joined us for the conference opening address which was kindly provided by 
Sandeep Sengupta (right), Global Coordinator of IUCN's Climate Change Portfolio, Global Policy & Programme Group with an introduction to the pivotal role peatlands play in addressing climate change, 
and a welcome from our hosts provided by Helen Anderson (left), Director of Natural Environment Division, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
Read Conference Forewords by Helen Anderson and Stuart Brooks, Chair of the IUCN UK National Committee & IUCN UK Peatland Programme and Head of Conservation & Policy of National Trust for Scotland.
An international perspective
This session shared progress from the Global Peatlands Initiative and partners, including monitoring of IUCN Resolution 43.
- Developing Core Common Outcomes for Tropical Peatland Research and Management - Mark Reed, IUCN UK Peatland Programme (Chair)
- Selected Global Peatlands Initiative highlights in 2019 and a spotlight on Germany - Franziska Tanneberger, Greifswald University, Partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre
- Dianna Kopansky, Global Peatlands Initiative Coordinator, UNEP:
UK Strategy progress
This session shared updates from the four countries on delivery of the UK Peatland Strategy.
- An overview of the UK Peatland Strategy - Stuart Brooks, IUCN UK Peatland Programme
- England Peat Strategy update - Sophie Chapman, Defra
- Restoring Northern Ireland's peatlands - Sara McGuckin, Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Natural Environment Division
- Scottish update - Andrew Coupar, Scottish Natural Heritage
- Peatland progress - Wales - Peter Jones, Natural Resources Wales
Commission of Inquiry update
A set of four sessions provided an introduction to the Commission of Inquiry process and overview of the key topics under review:
- Biodiversity Monitoring - Emma Goodyer, IUCN UK Peatland Programme
- Peatland Catchments and Natural Flood Management - Tim Allott, University of Manchester
- Peatlands and forestry - forest to bog restoration - Peter Robson, Scottish Power Renewables
- Lowland peatlands & wet agriculture:
- Paludiculture: Paludifuture for the UK’s fen peatlands? - Sarah Johnson, Lancashire Wildlife Trust
- Innovate UK: Sphagnum Farming UK - a sustainable alternative to peat in growing media - Jack Clough & Richard Lindsay, University of East London
- Climate change, peatlands and greenhouse gas accounting
- Update on the State of the UK Peatlands - Rebekka Artz, The James Hutton Institute
- Quantifying the carbon balance of lowland peatlands - Ross Morrison, Centre of Ecology and Hydrology
- Climate benefits from forest-to-bog restoration on deep peat: a case study in the Flow Country - Mhairi Coyle, The James Hutton Institute
- Peatland funding and finance news:
- Natural capital and peatlands - Bruce Wilson, Scottish Wildlife Trust
- Peatland Code progress - Jillian Hoy, IUCN UK Peatland Programme
- Funding the AfterLIFE: Peatland funding post-BREXIT - Tim Thom, Pennine PeatLIFE
