Ireland has a high proportion of Europe’s remaining peatlands, including a variety of raised and blanket bogs, fens and heath. Peatlands are wetland ecosystems in which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing.

Our peatlands have immense value - they combat climate change, protect biodiversity, maintain water quality and provide a space for wellbeing, as well as other important benefits. While the harvesting of peatlands is damaging to the environment, restored and intact bogs store excess carbon dioxide they have removed from the atmosphere.

The restoration of peatlands is therefore considered in Ireland's Climate Action Plan, which sets out actions targeted at tackling climate change while creating a resilient and sustainable country. A LIFE-funded project, Peatlands and People uses peatlands as a theme to support the delivery of climate and carbon benefits, and is listed as a key action in the most recent update of the Climate Action Plan (2021).