A call for the phase-out of peat in compost material was announced this week by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn as part of the latest Act on CO2 campaign. Around half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide is emitted each year as a result of peat extraction from UK sites for horticultural use. The UK’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory records emissions of 431,000 tonnes a year for peat extraction from UK sites.

The phase out would mean that gardening centres and DIY stores would cease to sell peat-based composts for the amateur gardening market within ten years  and switch to peat-free alternatives instead.

The Act on CO2 campaign  targets amateur gardeners who use the majority of the peat (around 70%) that is used in horticulture. The campaign focuses on raising awareness of the environmental impacts associated with peat and promoting a switch to peat-free alternatives in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and protect the valuable biodiversity and wildlife of lowland raised bogs (from which peat is extracted for horticulture use). 

Hilary Benn said:

"The horticultural industry has made progress in reducing peat use over recent years, but given the urgency of reducing our emissions we need to go much further. I know that the proposed 2020 phase-out target for the amateur market will be challenging, but we know this is what we need to do. Peat soils are extremely valuable carbon stores as well as being home to wildlife and important to archaeology, and we should be doing everything we can to protect them".

The new Soil Strategy, Safeguarding our Soils, that was published on 24 September 2009 includes a number of specific commitments on peat, and highlights the Government’s plans to develop a 'future framework for action' on peat in 2010, to explore options to strengthen the protection of both upland and lowland peat soils. Defra plans to publish a formal consultation document in the summer on proposals to further reduce the horticultural use of peat.