New £25m Peatland Fund to Protect Against Flood and Drought
A £25m Peatland Restoration Grant Scheme will run from April 2027, and The Wildlife Trusts say it saves upland peat projects from a funding cliff edge.
The Environment Secretary has announced a £25 million Peatland Restoration Grant Scheme, unveiled at the nation's first wildfire summit as part of a wider package of funding to deal with the impacts of climate change. The scheme will be run by Natural England and is expected to operate from April 2027 to April 2029, building on the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme. The Wildlife Trusts have welcomed the fund, which includes upland peat that was left out of recent funding grants.
Cottongrass © Pete Quinn
Why Peatlands Matter for Water
Restored peatlands store water in times of both drought and flooding, improve water quality and lock away carbon. They are also home to wildlife such as curlew, golden plover and mountain hare.
Peatland plants, Yorkshire © Dom Hinchley
Gemma Lane, land use policy manager at The Wildlife Trusts, said:
"This dedicated new £25 million fund for peatland restoration, including vital upland peat which was previously excluded from recent funding grants, is extremely welcome. After a hot, dry summer, and entering into a wet and stormy winter, our peatlands are just the sort of wet resilient landscapes we need if we are to face into the nature and climate crisis. When restored, they play a critical role in safeguarding homes from flooding and drought, provide habitats for wildlife, and absorb carbon from the atmosphere."
A Funding Cliff Edge Avoided
Peat restoration partnerships had been facing a gap in funding for upland work, with the Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme due to close in April 2027. The Wildlife Trusts had warned Defra earlier this year that, without new money, some partnerships would have had to drop plans to restore around 10,000 hectares of peat a year, about the size of 14,000 football pitches.
Sphagnum plug for restoration © Emma Hinchliffe
"These peat partnerships have been working for 20 years, building the skills and community relationships needed to restore our precious peatlands. This funding will help retain the skills and capacity within the community and ensure that progress can continue. Our weather is getting more extreme as the nature and climate crisis worsens, threatening peatlands with wildfire and our homes with flooding. Healthy nature protects us from those extremes, so long-term funding for nature-based solutions is essential."
UK Nature Targets
The announcement comes as the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP17, takes place in Armenia, ahead of the COP31 climate conference. A recent report by The Wildlife Trusts found the UK is off track to meet its global commitments to halt and reverse nature loss, with only three of 23 targets likely to be met by 2030.
