The Government of Ireland will host ‘Dialogues Towards a European Peatlands Initiative’ on the closing day of COP26 (Friday, November 12).

This event will bring together European ministers and peatland experts for a discussion on activating stakeholders and the need for open, pan-European collaboration on peatland restoration and management.

In 2019, at the UN Environment Assembly, countries committed to work together toward the conservation and sustainable management of peatlands articulated in the UNEA Resolution 4/16.

During Dialogues Towards a European Peatlands Initiative, Ministers Malcolm Noonan and Pippa Hackett will be joined by government representatives from Ireland, Iceland, Germany and beyond, to share the lessons from their respective countries on peatland restoration and conservation.

Expert stakeholders will also outline their outlook for the future, and ministers will discuss the benefits and challenges that future collaboration could bring.

Revitalising Irish peatlands

Ahead of the event this morning, Minister of State for heritage and electoral reform Malcolm Noonan said:

“Conservation and restoration of the world’s peatlands are an essential component in the global challenge to tackle climate change.

“I look forward to sharing Ireland’s experiences and the great work being done by many stakeholders in revitalising Irish peatlands and to hearing the experiences of other countries.

“In our recent Climate Action Plan, my department committed to the ongoing restoration of Ireland’s protected raised bog network in an area of circa 22,000ha.

“As we enter the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, it is vitally important that we ensure peatlands are conserved, restored and sustainably managed for current and future generations.”

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Pippa Hackett added that these dialogues “are the first step on a journey – open to all European countries and peatland actors alike – on how we can meaningfully collaborate across Europe in order to maximise the positive outcomes for all our peatlands”.