CAMPAIGNERS have called on the Scottish Government to bring forward “rapidly scaled-up” action to restore peatlands to keep the country’s climate targets on track.

The appeal comes after Scottish Government data shows land use and forestry emissions “are now shown to be a net-source of greenhouse gas emissions” when “previously this category had been shown to be a net-sink of greenhouse gas emissions”.

SNP ministers have set an ambitious target of restoring 250,000 hectares or degraded peatland by 2030.

By 2030, Scotland must have cut its 1990 level of carbon emissions by 75 per cent.

But data shows that Scotland has now lost benefit from its ‘carbon sink’ where trees, peatland and grassland sequester harmful carbon with land use and forestry now shown to be a "net source” of Scotland’s emissions, rather than help mitigate emissions in other areas.

Degraded peatlands emit more carbon than they remove, becoming a net source of greenhouse gases. Restoring peatlands will help remove and store carbon from the atmosphere, support habitats and species, improve water quality and manage flood risk.

Environmental groups are also demanding SNP and Green ministers draw up plans to ban commercial extraction and the sale of horticultural peat by next year.

Ruth Taylor, agriculture and land use policy manager at WWF Scotland, said: “Scotland’s peatlands should have a key role to play in tackling climate change. They are our most important carbon store – able to store several times more carbon than all of our forests combined – as well as minimising the risk and impacts of wildfires and providing a home for nature.

“Unfortunately, because of practices like draining, burning, tree planting, over grazing, and horticultural use, over 80% of our peatlands are now degraded and emitting carbon rather than absorbing it. Without action on the ground to double the amount of restored peatland in Scotland, we will not reach net zero by 2045.

“Recent proposals from the Scottish Government on the licencing and increased regulation of muirburn are welcome, but if Scotland is going to remain on track to reach our climate change targets, we need to see restoration activities rapidly scaled up as well as a ban commercial extraction and sale of horticultural peat across Scotland by 2023.”

Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary, Rachael Hamilton, said: “SNP ministers continue to talk a good game on the restoration of peatlands but they are miles off meeting their targets.

“The warm words must be backed up by direct action as right now there is no sign of any clear plan as to how the SNP plan to meet their manifesto commitments.

“The restoration of peatlands is absolutely crucial to tackling climate change and supporting jobs in rural communities and the SNP need to seriously up their game on this issue.”

Speaking to The Herald, SNP Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said “peatlands is one of the things in life that I am most enthusiastic about”.

She added: “Who would have thought the answer to the climate crisis was under our feet but they present one of the greatest co-benefits of the climate crisis.

“When they're restored, they will sequester carbon, they'll support biodiversity, we can create jobs in rural communities by restoring it, but many of them have been degraded over decades of draining and development.

“So we have committed £250m over 10 years to restore them.

“What are some of the challenges with that? Well, it's an industry in its infancy. So even contracted availability, land agents with the expertise to undertake that work, but we're building that up through Peatland Action, which NatureScot oversee for the Government.”