£22m fund launched to restore peatlands that could help climate fight

Scottish peatlands should be capable of capturing the equivalent of up to 140 years of the country’s carbon emissions, writes Emily Goddard

A wetland area forming peat (Getty/iStock)

The Scottish government is encouraging farmers and landowners to apply for grants from a £22m fund for restoring peatlands, which can help capture carbon.

Up to a quarter of Scotland, about 1.7 million hectares, is covered in peat soil which could capture and store up to 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon – the equivalent of up to 140 years of the country’s emissions.

But 80 per cent of the peatland is believed to be in need of restoration to halt the release of emissions.