£5 return for every £1 spent on restoring Peatlands
24 July 2019 - Published by Harry Mach
The UK Office for National Statistics has published a report summarising the benefit of rewetting Peatlands in the UK.
In the Statistical Bulletin on UK natural capital, published in the 22nd of July, the Office for National Statistics estimated the benefits of restoring the peatlands of the UK. This soil type ranges from the upland fells to the lowland Fens, including famous areas such as the Broads, the Peak District, and the moors of South-West England.
The key economic benefits of peatlands in the UK were found to be;
- Supplying over a quarter of the UK's drinking water, with a value of £888 million per year
- Recreation benefits of £274 million per year
However, the main benefit found in restoring peatlands was in the climate change mitigation, where the ONS calculated that restoring 55% of the UK peatlands would have a net benefit of up to £50 billion. If all peatlands were restored, this net benefit would rise to £80 billion.
The full report can be found at the link below.