Peat growth first began around the last ice age, roughly 12,000 years ago. Peat is partially composed organic matter—from plant and animal material—that has formed under specific waterlogged, oxygen and nutrient deficient, highly acidic conditions.

Often classified as a fossil fuel, peat takes a significantly long time to grow—around a thousand years for one metre of growth. The commercial extraction of peat throughout one year, removes around five hundred years’ worth of growth; if we continue to deplete our peatlands at this rate, we could potentially run out within the next decade. 

Peatlands are incredibly carbon-rich, making them hugely important to our planet. They cover around 3% of the Earth’s surface, whilst being able to sequester a staggering 33% of our global CO2—around three billion tonnes of carbon. When we harvest from peatlands they become damaged, and the carbon stored inside its bogs is emitted as CO2 into our atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

Peatlands play a vital role in our fight against climate change, so the time has come to stop digging and safeguard our planet, population and wildlife.