The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has published Northern Ireland’s first Peatland Strategy Delivery Plan, setting out immediate steps to restore the region’s degraded bogs and fens. Released on Earth Day, the plan covers April 2026 to December 2027 and establishes 14 short-term targets aimed at putting 4,500 hectares of peatland “on the road to recovery” within the next 20 months.
The delivery plan follows the broader Northern Ireland Peatland Strategy to 2040, approved by the Executive in September 2025. That strategy set an ambitious goal to restore 150,000 hectares of degraded peatland by 2050—an area roughly equivalent to 375,000 football pitches. Peatlands currently cover approximately 12% of Northern Ireland’s land area and store over half of the region’s soil carbon, yet an estimated 86% are in a degraded state due to drainage, overgrazing, afforestation and historical extraction.
Fourteen Immediate Targets for 2026–2027
The initial delivery plan focuses on laying groundwork rather than completing full restoration. Among the 14 targets are:
- Compiling a comprehensive Northern Ireland Peatland Asset Register by September 2026 to map distribution, condition and restoration potential
- Launching a public consultation in August 2026 on restricting the retail sale of peat and peat products
- Ensuring 4,500 hectares of peatland are “on the road to recovery” through current funding mechanisms by December 2027
- Identifying further potential restoration sites, including afforested areas, by December 2027
- Publishing a four-year Wildfire Strategic Action Plan by April 2026
- Issuing a call for evidence on commercial peat usage by December 2027
The plan aligns with five-year cycles of the Northern Ireland Climate Action Plan, with subsequent delivery plans intended to cover 2028–2032 and beyond. A reporting framework is still under development and will be established for the next planning period.
Minister Muir: “Embracing the Power of Peatlands”
Launching the plan, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir emphasised the need to scale up existing efforts and embrace peatlands as a nature-based solution:
“Setting out how my department and other delivery partners will progress and scale up the recovery of our peatlands over the next two years is another milestone in turning around these valuable habitats that are not in good condition at the moment.
“Good work is already underway in areas like the Belfast Hills and Antrim Hills by National Trust and RSPB as well as in Co Tyrone where Ulster Wildlife are restoring Haughey’s Bog and Black bog with support from my department, as well as Shared Island and Peace Plus programmes.
“We must embrace the power of peatlands as a nature-based solution to the climate crisis, improving water quality and reducing flooding. The value that well managed peatlands can bring to both people and nature must not be underestimated.”
Current Funding and Cross-Border Cooperation
The delivery plan operates within existing funding envelopes rather than announcing new budget allocations. Current funding includes £7.8 million through the Environment Fund and Shared Island Fund to 2028, which will support approximately 1,000 hectares of restoration and restoration plans for 5,000 to 6,000 hectares. Additionally, the €40 million (£34.7 million) PEACEPLUS programme includes a major peatland restoration element covering approximately 12,500 hectares by 2028.
Cross-border cooperation features prominently, with the Shared Island Peatland Programme facilitating joint workshops and knowledge exchange between Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland. Recent projects include the €19.2 million PEAT+ project led by Ulster Wildlife, which is restoring 18 priority sites across Northern Ireland and border counties, and the National Trust’s work at Divis Mountain where phase one restoration has already held an estimated 70,000 cubic metres of additional water across 70 hectares.
The Scale of the Challenge
While the targets represent progress, the scale of degradation suggests significant hurdles remain. Scotland has already restored more than 10,000 hectares annually in recent years and has committed to restoring 250,000 hectares by 2030—nearly double Northern Ireland’s 2050 target in less than half the time. Wales, meanwhile, has restored 3,600 hectares since 2020 and aims to triple its annual restoration rate to 1,800 hectares per year by 2030.
The Northern Ireland plan also lacks a firm commitment to ban peat extraction, offering only a consultation on retail sales by August 2026 and a call for evidence on commercial usage by December 2027. England and Wales have already banned retail peat sales, while the Republic of Ireland introduced a ban on turf sales for fuel in 2022. The strategy acknowledges that “significant financial resources” will be needed to meet long-term aims, yet the delivery plan does not specify new funding mechanisms beyond existing programmes.
Critical Questions Remain
- Given that 86% of Northern Ireland’s peatlands are currently degraded, how will the plan address the agricultural drainage and land management practices that continue to damage these habitats?
- Will the August 2026 consultation on retail peat sales lead to an outright ban similar to England’s 2024 prohibition, or will it rely on voluntary phase-out mechanisms that may delay action?
- How will the Peatland Asset Register navigate complex land ownership issues to secure buy-in from private landowners for restoration projects?
- What safeguards exist to ensure the 150,000-hectare restoration target for 2050 remains legally binding rather than aspirational, particularly given the lack of interim statutory targets in the current delivery plan?
- How will the strategy ensure that restoration creates genuine “green jobs” in rural communities rather than relying on short-term project funding?
Monitoring Progress: What to Watch
The immediate test will be the public consultation on restricting retail peat sales, expected in August 2026. Stakeholders should also monitor the development of the Peatland Asset Register, due for initial data compilation by December 2026, which will determine which sites receive priority for restoration. The next delivery plan, covering 2028–2032, will be crucial for scaling up restoration rates to meet the 2050 target. The Peatland Strategy Delivery Plan is available on the DAERA website.