Bord na Móna has recently announced the cessation of peat production on all of their bogs. Peat had been extracted from these Bord na Móna bogs under Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) licences issued and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency. As part of Condition-10 of this licence, decommissioning and rehabilitation must be carried out when industrial peat production ceases.

In line with Bord na Móna’s accelerated decarbonisation strategy, and the availability of government funding, the company has also committed to ambitious enhanced peatland decommissioning, rehabilitation and restoration measures, targeting circa 33,000 hectares in over 80 Bord na Móna bogs.

This strategy has been developed to optimise ecosystem service benefits of peatland rehabilitation and restoration, particularly carbon storage and reducing carbon emissions. In addition, this will also benefit biodiversity and water (water quality and catchment management), as well as providing space for local communities and people to enjoy the outdoors.