Today the UK Government published their revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP).

The Government has sidestepped its obligations and flunked defining a firm plan to deliver legislation to end peat sales.

While its commitment to end peat sales in the revised Environmental Improvement Plan is welcome, the phrase ‘when Parliamentary time allows’ just lets the can be kicked further down the road – conditional commitment ends up being commitment without action. It takes us no further forward than the broken pledge to ban peat made by the previous Conservative government.

After years of painstaking discussions, research, trials and hard work within the horticultural industry we expected more than this vague promise of maybe-one-day indifference. We want and need delivery, to restore business certainty to a horticulture industry that’s been left in limbo for too long. Growers are calling for government to deliver on a 2030 ban. MPs from across the political spectrum have spoken out in support. Governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are looking to the UK Government for leadership. Hundreds of ordinary people have already signed our recently-launched petition for legislation in 2026 – an action which wouldn’t have been necessary had the government been more decisive. What more is it going to take for the Government to just get on with it and legislate to end peat sales now?

We expect to see this included in the spring 2026 King’s Speech with legislation in the next parliamentary session to back British horticulture and move towards a peat-free future.

Read the full EIP here.