MINISTERS have failed to make good enough use of restoring Scotland's peatlands to meet the nation's bid to be net zero in emissions by 2045.

New research shows that despite the fact carbon-rich peatlands cover 25% of Scotland and can act as a carbon store, meaning they absorb C02 from the atmosphere and store it in soil, they contribute far too little to Scotland's ecological footprint.

And the study by the University of Stirling part of the problem is caused by degraded peatland which actually emit more carbon dioxide than they remove and become a net source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The academics say that damaged peatlands increases Scotland’s ecological footprint - the official measure of the impact each of us has on the environment - by 40%.

The footprint includes amount of land needed each year to provide food, water, energy and services per person.

Peatlands in Scotland are estimated to hold the equivalent of 140 years’ worth of Scotland’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions and are seen as vital in helping tackle climate change.

More than 20% of Scotland is covered by peat and much of our drinking water filters through these catchments.

But while peatlands cover 1.9m hectares of Scotland's surface and provide many green benefits – it is estimated that 80% of Scotland's peatlands are damaged partly through thousands of years of cutting and more recently overgrazing by sheep.

There are also issues when drained peat dries as CO2 is produced - so has become a climate problem like cars, planes and factories.

The Herald:

According to official data from last year less than a third of the Scottish Government’s annual peatland restoration targets have been met over the previous two years.

According to the Scottish Government Climate Change Plan, as of last year 6,000 hectares of degraded peatland were restored in both 2018-19 and 2019-20 - well below the target set by ministers of restoring 20,000 hectares a year.

In total 25,000 hectares of peatland have been rehabilitated since 2012. The Climate Change Plan earlier set a target of restoring a total of 50,000 hectares by 2020.

The Stirling research says that Scotland needs to have more ambitious peatland restoration targets.

They worked out that the recognised Global Footprint Network method for working out Scotland's ecological footprint, also known as the biocapacity deficit, was at 0.7 global hectares per person - but that was without including peatlands.

The researchers said that when it is added, because of the degraded peatlands, this actually rises to 0.97.

They said that the restoration at the rate currently planned by Scottish Government will only reduce that deficit by seven per cent by 2050.

Peatland restoration involves a land management measures recover the original form and function of peatland habitats allowing them to act as a carbon store.

PhD researcher Nicola Horsburgh, of the division of Biological and Environmental Sciences, said: "We need a deficit of zero so as not to consume more natural capital than we can renew.

“Peatlands have been steadily locking in carbon since the end of the last ice age. But degraded peatlands release this carbon as greenhouse gases, and we found that this increases Scotland’s ecological deficit by about 40%. "

Ms Horsburgh said there is reason for optimism – with cost effective restoration options available for most of Scotland’s degraded peatlands.

She said: “Restoring peatland is low-hanging fruit for Scotland’s land use sector.”

The study also found that 65% of Scotland’s peatlands could be restored at an average cost of between £2 and £17 per tonne of greenhouse gas saved, over a cost horizon of 60 years.

The Scottish Government is legally committed to cutting its net carbon emissions by 75% by 2030, and to be at net-zero emissions by 2045.

The term ‘net-zero’ refers to a position in which carbon emissions going into the atmosphere are balanced by their removal by carbon sinks like peatlands.

“The value of the world’s peatlands in the fight against climate change is becoming clear,” added Ms Horsburgh.

“Scotland is leading the way in terms of peatland restoration. Yet our figures show we need to go further to make a real difference. Scottish Government targets only address 250,000 hectares of the estimated 1.5 million hectares of degraded peatland that we have.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Scotland is leading the way on peatland policy and we are committed to significantly increasing the rate of peatland restoration in Scotland. In 2020 we set out ambitious plans to invest more than £250 million over ten years to restore at least 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030.

“We also understand the urgent need for tighter regulation and oversight of muirburn, and we set out our commitment to deliver a licensing regime as part of our 2021-22 Programme for Government.

“We will also introduce a wholesale ban on burning on peatland, expect in very limited cases as part of an approved habitat restoration programme, and we will review the current definition of peatland, taking expert advice on whether a stricter definition should be imposed.

“Scotland’s world-leading climate change legislation sets a target date for net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045.

“We will also publish an ambitious new biodiversity strategy within the next year followed by an underpinning 5 year delivery plan, which will guide the way we use and manage land and our approach to protecting habitats and ecosystems.”