Policy recommendations for improved peatland management and funding in CEE countries
The role of peatlands in science-based emission reduction pathways for climate change mitigation
In Europe, peatland drainage — mainly for agriculture, forestry and peat extraction — releases more GHGs annually than the entire aviation and shipping sectors combined. For about half of the degraded European peatlands, their climate impact is disproportionate: they represent just 6% of European land — 3% being the EU’s agricultural land area — but account for 25% of the total agricultural GHG emissions.
This guidance document explores opportunities and barriers to implementing peatland protection and restoration measures, as well as their policy context in Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Poland, and Germany. Moreover, it provides recommendations for Central and Eastern European decision-making for integrating peatland protection and restoration as effective measures for climate change adaptation and mitigation.