Defra announces GBP 47 million fund to restore England's peatlands and cut carbon emissions

The UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced a GBP 47 million fund to restore England's degraded peatlands. The investment targets three schemes: a Lowland Peat Water Implementation Grant to manage water tables, a Paludiculture and Wetter Farming Fund to support crops on wet peat, and a Peatland Restoration Sector Capacity Grant for workforce training. The goal is to reduce carbon emissions from dry peat, which currently releases stored carbon instead of locking it away. England's peatlands hold more than half of the country's terrestrial carbon, but 80% are degraded due to past drainage for agriculture. The fund aims to re-wet these areas to encourage carbon sequestration, improve flood resilience, and support wildlife. Application deadlines for the schemes range from July to September 2026. This is a concrete step in UK climate policy that ties public spending directly to on-the-ground carbon outcomes.