International Bog Day is the perfect moment to shine a light on one of Wales’ most overlooked natural assets: our peatlands. These extraordinary landscapes quietly store carbon, support rare wildlife, and help regulate water systems — yet they remain under threat.
The Cambrian Mountains Society (CMS), alongside the South and West Wales Wildlife Trust and Friends of the Earth Cymru, has launched a Senedd petition calling for stronger protection for all peatlands, not just those already designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The aim is simple: secure a full Senedd debate on halting future development on peat soils.
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Why This Matters
The Cambrian Mountains Society has long campaigned for responsible management of upland peat. Despite years of warnings from conservationists, only small, isolated re‑wetting projects have taken place — nowhere near the scale required.
In 2022, the Senedd announced a ban on peat extraction for garden compost, but crucially, no regulations were introduced to enforce it. Meanwhile, development pressures have intensified.
What’s Happening Now?
More than 36% of Wales’ peatland is currently being targeted for renewable energy developments and their associated infrastructure. While renewable energy is essential, digging up peat — a globally scarce carbon store — undermines climate action rather than supporting it. Once exposed and dried, peat releases carbon accumulated over thousands of years.
CMS recently contacted Welsh Government ministers to clarify policy on upland renewable developments. The response revealed a worrying assumption: that peatlands are already protected because many lie within SSSIs. In reality, only around half of Wales’ peatlands have any formal protection.
Even SSSIs are vulnerable. Some Planning Inspectors have ruled that the climate emergency constitutes a “wholly exceptional circumstance,” allowing destruction of protected sites. This risks worsening both the climate and nature emergencies.
Developers often promise to “protect” peat by moving it to borrow pits and reinstating it later. But real‑world evidence tells a different story — including the stark example of dried peat piles left from the Mynydd y Gwair wind farm north of Swansea.
A Call for Action
Peatlands are irreplaceable. Once damaged, they cannot simply be put back. Protecting them is essential for Wales’ climate resilience, biodiversity, and landscape heritage.
If you believe Wales needs stronger safeguards for these vital ecosystems, consider supporting the petition and sharing it with others.
Read and sign the petition
Original article from the Cambrian Mountains Society