Peatland Breakthrough

The Peatland Breakthrough is a global initiative led by several partners that aspires to achieve these systemic changes to protect and restore peatlands on a large scale. It brings together public and private stakeholders towards common goals for sustainable land use. The Breakthrough will elevate peatlands on the global agenda and enable field action, including through climate-friendly practices like paludiculture (the productive land-use of wet and rewetted peatlands that preserves the peat layer)

The Peatland Breakthrough represents a critical step toward realizing the Paris Agreement and Biodiversity Framework goals and safeguarding strategic ecosystems for climate, biodiversity, and livelihoods. By uniting efforts globally, this initiative has the potential to transform peatlands from a climate liability into nature’s champions in achieving a resilient, net-zero carbon world.

The importance of peatlands
Peatlands hold unparalleled significance in combating climate change and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. They cover only 3% of global land surface and store up to one-third of the planet's soil carbon—double the carbon found in the world’s forest biomass—they are the most carbon dense terrestrial ecosystem. Beyond their climate mitigation benefits, peatlands enhance community and ecosystem resilience by regulating water flows, reducing flood and drought risks, and enhancing water quality. They provide critical habitats for rare flora and fauna, including endangered species like orangutans, and support livelihoods through the provision of food, fiber and fuel.

Peatlands threatened
Peatlands worldwide are at risk. Between 12% to 15% of peatlands have been drained and degraded, primarily for agriculture and forestry. This drainage and degradation has turned peatlands from carbon sinks into major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to around 5% of all global anthropogenic GHG emissions —representing more than the aviation and shipping sectors combined.

Healthy peatlands are key to achieving multiple global goals such as the SDGs, the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Towards a Peatland Breakthrough
To meet the Paris Agreement’s mitigation and adaptation goals, and the goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework, we need a system change of land-use that:

Halts peatland drainage
Restores degraded areas
Conserves remaining peatland carbon sinks
Enables climate-friendly peatland community land-use and adopts Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

From vision to action: A two-phase process for the Peatland Breakthrough

1. Development phase (pre-UNFCCC COP30):

The current phase focuses on building momentum by establishing a shared vision and enhancing public awareness, setting scientifically robust and widely accepted targets, and engaging a wide range of stakeholders through inclusive processes.

2. Implementation phase (post-UNFCCC COP30):

Following the official launch by UNFCCC COP30, the focus will shift to turning targets into action across global, regional, and national levels—supported by finance, policy, and best practices.

The PB is coordinated by a Steering Group and four thematic Working Groups: Targets & Knowledge, Partner Engagement & Advocacy, Resource Mobilization, and Communications. Together, they work to ensure technical rigor, inclusiveness, and strategic direction.

Organising partners
This effort is currently being led by organizations with a strong track record of working on peatlands including Wetlands International, UN Environment Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Global Environment Centre, and the Greifswald Mire Centre, in collaboration with the High-Level Climate Champions Team, the Convention on Wetlands and the Global Peatlands Initiative.

We also acknowledge the vital role of involving key private sector representatives, land users, community-based civil society organisations, farmer organizations, philanthropic organizations, regional development banks, governments, and other stakeholders. Their dedication and contributions will be crucial for driving meaningful progress and collaboratively setting ambitious goals.

Resources