Butterfly Conservation, B&Q and Co-op sign letter urging Government to end peat sales - Butterfly Conservation
Butterfly Conservation has joined more than 100 retailers, compost manufacturers, nursery owners and other conservation charities signing a letter urging Keir Starmer and his cabinet to legislate to end peat sales for good.
It is the first time retailers, charities and the horticultural industry have joined forces to demand a change in legislation.
Coordinated by The Peat-Free Partnership – a coalition of horticultural organisations and environmental NGOs in the UK – the letter includes support from B&Q, the Co-op, major compost manufacturer Evergreen Garden Care and supplier Vitacress – and calls on the new Government to fulfil its legal commitments on climate change and biodiversity.
Extraction and sale of peat for use in horticulture remains legal, despite years of campaigning to stop it. The previous Government repeatedly pledged to pass legislation to end peat sales in England by the end of 2024 – but failed to keep its promise.
In 2022, the horticultural industry used 950,000 cubic metres of peat – enough to fill 380 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
This trade impacts biodiversity and carbon stores, as well as reducing our ability to withstand flooding and improve the quality of our water supplies.
Peatlands are home to some of the UK’s most distinctive plant communities. They are also vital carbon sinks. When bogs are drained or peat is extracted, it releases carbon dioxide, turning a significant carbon store into a major emitter of greenhouse gases, exacerbating climate change.
Posted On: 11/09/2024
More on: