PRESS RELEASE
Tuesday 6th May 2025
The Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) strongly opposes any proposals to plant trees on peatlands, warning that such actions would have severe environmental consequences and undermine Ireland’s commitments to biodiversity and climate action.
Peatlands are one of Ireland’s most valuable ecosystems, serving as critical carbon sinks, supporting unique biodiversity, and regulating water quality. Scientific research has repeatedly shown that afforestation on peatlands disrupts their natural hydrology, accelerates carbon release, and damages habitats essential for rare and endangered species.
“Ireland’s Peatlands are meant to be open landscapes, and treating them as wastelands and only seeing them as areas to destroy and turn into industrial forestry is not recognising their importance” said Tristram Whyte Policy Officer for the IPCC. “Planting trees on peatlands dries them out, leading to increased carbon emissions to air and our rivers and streams, rather than sequestration. It also threatens species that rely on these wetland environments, including curlews, sphagnum mosses, and dragonflies.”
The IPCC urges policymakers to prioritize peatland restoration rather than afforestation. Restoring degraded peatlands by rewetting them allows them to continue their natural role as carbon sinks, helping Ireland meet its climate targets while preserving vital ecosystems.
“We call on the government to reject any proposals for tree planting on peatlands and instead invest in conservation and restoration efforts,” added Tristram Whyte. “Ireland has a responsibility to protect these landscapes, not to degrade them further.”