Peatland ACTION wins prestigious climate award

A Scottish Government-funded programme that offers landowners, farmers and crofters 100% funding and support to restore their damaged peatlands has won the Holyrood Climate Action Award for Nature and the Environment.

The award, presented at an awards ceremony in Edinburgh on 8 November, recognises key players across seven categories including technology, nature, community, and the circular economy, who are making significant contributions to Scotland’s Net Zero journey. It was launched in 2021 to coincide with Glasgow as the host city of COP26.

Commenting on their success, Peter Hutchinson, NatureScot Peatland ACTION Programme Strategy Manager said: "We are so very pleased to have won the Holyrood Climate Action Nature and the Environment Award. It is a vote of confidence not only in all those who work for Peatland ACTION, but the many, many landowners, agents, designers and contractors that work with us. Without them we could not achieve the massive benefits that landscape-scale peatland restoration can bring to Scotland’s climate and biodiversity. We hope that in winning the award we will encourage even more to work with us in the future."

Peatland ACTION, a programme led by Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with NatureScot, along with Scottish Water, Forestry & Land Scotland and Scotland’s two National Park Authorities, has put Scotland at the forefront of landscape-scale peatland restoration in Europe. By providing funding and on-the-ground support, along with the development of innovative techniques and technical know-how that are needed to successfully restore our peatlands, it plays a vital part in tackling Scotland’s climate and biodiversity crises. Peatland restoration also brings a range of other benefits including improving water quality, mitigating both flooding and wildfires, and providing new rural green jobs.

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