The UK Government has announced that they intend to introduce legislation to end the sale of peat in the Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan published 29 October.

This announcement brings us closer to the position held by the previous government before the general election, where legislation had been announced but was not acted upon before the election was held.

The Peat-free Partnership’s statement:

We welcome the UK Government’s new policy commitment to legislate a ban on the sale of peat and peat-containing products, as laid out in the Carbon Budget & Growth Delivery Plan.

This is tangible progress towards giving horticultural businesses a sense of the Government’s policy direction in protecting irreplaceable peatlands from destructive commercial extraction.

However, the Delivery Plan only commits to legislation “when Parliamentary time allows” which fails to give any certainty. The previous Government failed to keep their promise on this and it is unacceptable for the UK Government to keep kicking the peat ban can further down the road.

A ban on peat sales is needed now. No more delays; no more wavering; no more excuses.

The industry is crying out for a level playing field. A fair, phased transition gives a clear timetable to which everyone can work, restoring business confidence and ensuring a just transition away from peat use for both amateur gardeners and professional growers.

We look forward to working with Government to make peat-free horticulture a reality in the very near future – not a distant possible dream.

Image Credit: David Iliff (CC BY-SA 2.5)