Natural England

Leading scientists and policy makers have agreed that farmers and land managers have a major role to play in addressing climate change.

A meeting of some of the UK’s leading experts on land use and climate change heard that improving the management of our upland peat bogs alone could reduce our greenhouse gas pollution by up to 400,000 tonnes per year, the equivalent of removing 2 per cent of cars from England’s roads.

At the meeting, Dr Fred Worrall from the University of Durham presented new research and modelling of the way in which upland peat bogs capture and release carbon.

Dr Pete Smith from the University of Aberdeen presented evidence which showed that land managers can make an important contribution to absorbing the UK’s total greenhouse gas pollution, through converting some land to grasslands and less intensive uses.

There is more carbon stored in the UK’s peat than in all the forests of Britain and France combined

Dr Mark Broadmeadow from Forest Research highlighted the role that woodlands can play in storing carbon and how increasing the use of wood products can increase the amount of carbon stored.

Helen Phillips, the Chief Executive of Natural England, said, “The scientific evidence is clear. Farmers and land managers who manage their land in a sustainable way are making a very important contribution to climate change. We need to increase awareness of the valuable role that they play and identify what needs to be done to encourage and support more sustainable land use.”

The meeting, held on 28 November 2006 and organised by Natural England, was also attended by representatives of farmers (Jo Hughes of the National Farmers' Union) and land managers (Derek Holliday of the Country Land and Business Association) and Government officials.

Key facts

The Stern Review recommends that, at the global level, land managers can play a vital role by contributing around 10 per cent of the annual greenhouse gas emissions reductions required to keep global temperature rise at a relatively safe level.

Land managers can contribute to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions by:

• strengthening carbon sinks;
• reducing damaging practices (such as deforestation);
• taking-up management that will help enhance carbon storage (such as afforestation and less intensive agriculture); and
• replacing fossil fuels with bio-energy materials.

The amount of carbon stored in the UK’s peatlands is equivalent to at least three years of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

There is more carbon stored in the UK’s peat than in all the forests of Britain and France combined.

All of the peatlands in England and Wales would absorb around 41,000 tonnes of carbon a year if in a pristine condition but could emit up to 381,000 tonnes of carbon a year if they are damaged by practices such as excessive burning, drainage and over-grazing.

The restoration and enhancement of peatlands could save around 400,000 tonnes a year, which is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 1.1 billion car miles or 84,000 family-sized cars.