Rapid Engagement with Stressed Peatland Environments and Communities in Transformation [RESPECT]
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Law
Abstract
Context: Peatlands are one of the world's most important habitats and the largest terrestrial carbon store. However, 80% of UK peatlands are damaged and deteriorating, meaning they are often a carbon source rather than sink. This trend is alarming in the context of the climate emergency. Restoring peatland is therefore an urgent UK action, necessary to meet the net zero commitment. The UK Committee on Climate Change has recommended restoration of at least 50% of upland peat and 25% of lowland peat by 2050 to contribute to the net zero target. Changing agricultural use of peatland is likely to lead to the highest per hectare emissions savings implementable in the UK. However, the number of peatland hectares restored remains low despite support mechanisms in Scotland and England. How to achieve large-scale peatland restoration is under-researched, and agricultural environments and communities are facing intersecting stresses which inhibit the necessary transformative practices.
Challenge: RESPECT takes a holistic approach to this real-world challenge through interdisciplinary research which supports landholders to undertake peatland restoration and reduce carbon emissions through land use change. Two case study regions - the Forth and Humber Catchments in Scotland and England - will be investigated in-depth, where tensions exist between food production, historic environment preservation, carbon sequestration and ecological restoration.
Questions: RESPECT investigates a number of questions in this context. Where should peatland restoration take place based on the current and future physical capacities of agricultural land in the case study regions? How should peatland restoration be implemented based on the social capacities of key land stakeholders in the case study regions? How can landholders seeking to restore peatland be best supported in their decision-making to reduce emissions, as well as deliver other social and environmental benefits? What governance reforms are required to facilitate peatland restoration on agricultural land? Finally, how can the data, methods and tools established in the case study regions be scaled up to the national level?
Overview: RESPECT will produce data, methods, landholder tools and proposals for governance reforms to change agricultural practices on peatland and contribute to the UK's net zero target. RESPECT will achieve this by collating data through novel interdisciplinary collection, modelling and engagement methods. These data will establish the capacity of land and land users to contribute to the net zero target as well as generate other social and environmental co-benefits, balanced against conflicting land use demands, within the context of climate change. Informed by this baseline data, RESPECT will produce the Peatland Triage Tool (PTT), providing decision-support for landowners, land managers, farmers and crofters (collectively 'landholders') seeking to undertake peatland restoration. Governance reforms will be proposed to scaffold the social innovations necessary for transformative change. Outputs will be scalable and replicable with national significance.
Application and Benefits: RESPECT will produce new thinking and transdisciplinary research outputs about facilitating landholders to deliver land use change for net zero and manage conflicting land use demands. RESPECT uses an innovative combination of both data and methodologies to address land use change, and carefully considers the social and physical capacities of the land and land users to effect change. The PTT will provide decision-support in a useful and accessible way. Combined with the expertise in policy implementation and support from project partners, RESPECT will develop a game-changing approach to reducing emissions from land use.
Challenge: RESPECT takes a holistic approach to this real-world challenge through interdisciplinary research which supports landholders to undertake peatland restoration and reduce carbon emissions through land use change. Two case study regions - the Forth and Humber Catchments in Scotland and England - will be investigated in-depth, where tensions exist between food production, historic environment preservation, carbon sequestration and ecological restoration.
Questions: RESPECT investigates a number of questions in this context. Where should peatland restoration take place based on the current and future physical capacities of agricultural land in the case study regions? How should peatland restoration be implemented based on the social capacities of key land stakeholders in the case study regions? How can landholders seeking to restore peatland be best supported in their decision-making to reduce emissions, as well as deliver other social and environmental benefits? What governance reforms are required to facilitate peatland restoration on agricultural land? Finally, how can the data, methods and tools established in the case study regions be scaled up to the national level?
Overview: RESPECT will produce data, methods, landholder tools and proposals for governance reforms to change agricultural practices on peatland and contribute to the UK's net zero target. RESPECT will achieve this by collating data through novel interdisciplinary collection, modelling and engagement methods. These data will establish the capacity of land and land users to contribute to the net zero target as well as generate other social and environmental co-benefits, balanced against conflicting land use demands, within the context of climate change. Informed by this baseline data, RESPECT will produce the Peatland Triage Tool (PTT), providing decision-support for landowners, land managers, farmers and crofters (collectively 'landholders') seeking to undertake peatland restoration. Governance reforms will be proposed to scaffold the social innovations necessary for transformative change. Outputs will be scalable and replicable with national significance.
Application and Benefits: RESPECT will produce new thinking and transdisciplinary research outputs about facilitating landholders to deliver land use change for net zero and manage conflicting land use demands. RESPECT uses an innovative combination of both data and methodologies to address land use change, and carefully considers the social and physical capacities of the land and land users to effect change. The PTT will provide decision-support in a useful and accessible way. Combined with the expertise in policy implementation and support from project partners, RESPECT will develop a game-changing approach to reducing emissions from land use.
