News/All pieces
Setting course for EU peatland policies
CINDERELLA workshop at Brussels
13/12/2017 “Setting the course for EU policies on peatland climate mitigation” was discussed at a workshop 6th December 2017 in Brussels. Jointly organised within the projects CAOS - climate smart agriculture on organic soils (Thünen Institute) and CINDERELLA (Greifswald University, partner in the GMC) it was another step to better integrate peat soils into the EU policy framework. With representatives from farmers associations, NGOs, research, European Commission (both DG Agriculture and DG Environment), business sector and national administration there were diverging positions. Some participants stressed the importance ofpeatland utilisation for food production and sovereignty. The GMC representatives pointed out effects and perspectives of EU policies on peatlands, underlined that greenhouse gas emission reduction is currently insufficiently addressed, and promoted alternative paludiculture crops like cattail for building materials.
Smoke on Water presented on COP23
Rapid Response Assessment against peatland loss and degradation
15/11/2017 Titled Smoke on Water – countering global threats from peatland loss and degradation the Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI) presented the „UNEP Rapid Response Assessment“ at COP23. The report describes how to localise, manage and conserve the remaining peatlands worldwide. The Greifswald Mire Centre – partner in the Global Peatlands Initiative – contributed substantial expertise e.g. data and pictures of the Global Peatland Database. Presenting the report at the high level side event, Erik Solheim, Head of UN Environment, said that it is absolutely crucial that peatlands are protected and that the carbon is kept safely in the ground.” Tim Christophersen (UN Environment), Ibrahim Thiaw (UN Environment Deputy Executive Director) and Siti Nurbaya Bakar (Minister of the Environment of Indonesia) stressed the significance of intact peatlands for climate protection and the importance of rewetting. Prof. Hans Joosten of the Greifswald Mire Centre put it in a nutshell: "Keep peatlands wet, if drained rewet them, if you use them, use them wet!“
More details in the UNEP press release Smoke on water – countering global threats from peatland loss and degradation.
GMC at the COP23 – 2nd week
Peatland restoration project = UNFCCC lighthouse activity
09/11/2017 Restoring peatlands in Russia is one of the largest on-the-ground peatland restoration projects in the world. It is successfully preventing peat fires and subsequent health damages to local people and simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The UNFCCC has chosen it to be one of 19 initiatives receiving the United Nations Momentum for Change Climate Solutions Award as lighthouse activities. Wetlands International and the Michael Succow Foundation, partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre, will present the joint project at a roundtable event within the Focus on Planetary Health on Monday 13th Nov. from 13.00-13.45 pm at the Climate Action Studio. A special Showcase Event will feature the 19 winners of the 2017 Momentum for Change Award at 14th Nov from 6.15-8.00 pm at Meeting room 8, Bonn Zone.
At 15th Nov. the Greifswald Mire Centre is part of a high level event Good peatland governance to strenghten economic, social and ecosystem resilience organised by the Global Peatlands Initative. It will be the launch of the Rapid Response Assessment on peatlands at 4.45 pm (meeting room 10, Bonn Zone).
UN reveals emissions gap
GMC contribution to UN report kicking off world climate conference
08/11/2017 Published at the beginning of the world climate conference (COP23), the recent „Emissions Gap Report“ of UN Environment summarises current national mitigation efforts and the largest potentials for improved climate protection. This year the report addresses not only the gap in 2020, but also necessary trajectories for later years, especially 2025 and 2030. A key element of the report is an overview on how to close the global emissions gap, for example by peatland restoration. The report has been produced by UN Environment with an international team of experts and with support by the German government. Prof. Hans Joosten‘s (Greifswald Mire Centre) contribution as a co-author is based on data of the Global Peatland Database.
GMC at the COP23 – 1st week
Bringing peatlands into the focus
6/11/2017 During the UNFCCC COP23 the Greifswald Mire Centre is contributing expertise on peatlands in several side events to raise awareness on their potential for climate protection. On 6th November Franziska Tanneberger talked about peatlands as sinks for carbon and sources for carbon emissions at the side event Towards a new compact on peatlands for climate protection. The side event was organized by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) together with FAO, UNEP, NABU and others, and started at 10.00 am at the German Pavilion (Bonn Zone). On 10th November at 4.45 pm GMC and Wetlands International are stressing the Urgent need for local action to sustain peatlands globally . Beside multi-national corporations, communities are key players in peatlands. They need to be supported towards adapted management of their land. Jan Peters presents Strategic environmental dialogues on Caribbean coastal peatlands, a project promoting coastal peatlands as protection against extreme weather events in the Caribbean. In the 2nd week of COP 23, GMC contributes to a high-level side event of the Global Peatlands Initiative on 15th November.
For further information here a calendar of important peatland-related events at COP23.
Peatlands for Paris
PNAS article favours peatland restoration
31/10/2017 A recent paper Natural climate solutions published by the National Academy of Sciences of the USA (PNAS Oct. 2017; vol. 114 no. 44) examines how much nature can contribute to climate mitigation and holding global warming below 2 °C. The authors considered 20 land management actions. Their result: Avoiding peatland emissions and restoring drained peatlands is a priority to achieve the Paris Climate Agreement. Data of the Global Peatland Database provided a basis for this assessment.
Winners of 2017 UN Climate Solutions Awards
„Peatland restoration in Russia“ is lighthouse activity!
13/10/2017 The Greifswald Mire Centre was most happy to hear: Peatland restoration in Russia is one of 19 winners of the United Nations ‘Momentum for Change’ Climate Solutions Awards 2017! The project is spearheading the restoration of peatlands in Russia, thus reducing the incidence of fires in peatland areas and the resulting CO2 emissions and smoke particulates.
Michael Succow Foundation and Greifswald University, both partners in the GMC, are strongly involved. Out of 460 applications 19 ground-breaking initiatives from around the world will be honoured at the UN Climate Conference (COP23) in Bonn in November.
Wet peatlands for climate, future, people – forever
What all agreed on: RRR2017 final statement
04/10/2017 The concluding statement of the 2nd International Paludiculture Conference “Renewable resources from wet and rewetted peatlands (RRR2017, Greifswald 27-29 September 2017))” boils down on 4 pages what approx. 200 peatland scientists, practitioners and activists agreed on: Urgent action needed – stop drainage, rewet, implement paludiculture large scale! That’s because drained peatlands hamper the achievement of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. Damages include enormous economic and environmental losses through greenhouse gas emissions, peat fires, loss of biodiversity, water pollution, soil degradation and desertification, and subsidence followed by an eventual loss of productive land. Thus peatlands have to be kept wet and productive! Paludiculture offers the solution to mitigate climate change and to adapt to effects of a changing climate such as sea level rise, droughts, and floods.
Paludiculture for the planet!
Conference week RRR2017started
27/09/2017 There is power in peatlands! At the International Paludiculture Conference RRR2017 - Renewable resources from wet and rewetted peatlands 27th-29th September in Greifswald scientists, practitioners and politicians discuss how to tap their potential for climate protection, alternative agriculture and saving great socio-economic costs. Text: Wet peatlands protect the world’s climate as gigantic carbon sinks. Drained peatlands, in contrast, globally emit over 2 Gt of carbon dioxide per year. To reverse this dramatic climate damage peatlands must be rewetted and can often still be cultivated. Paludiculture – the utilization of wet peatlands – can chant the spell and deliver renewable energy resources and biomass for building material or fodder while substituting fossil resources. Apart from this, wet peatlands offer ecosystem services such as nutrient removal, water retention and habitat provision. Almost 200 scientists, land owners, land users and environmentalists assemble at the RRR2017 to promote this promising and necessary concept.
RUMOOREN! - art meets peatlands
Turf sculptures and typha cushions - visit till 8th October at CDFI
22/09/2017 The art exhibition RUMOOREN! offers unusual perspectives on peatlands. Organised by the Greifswald Mire Centre in cooperation with the Caspar-David-Friedrich-Institute of Greifswald University, exhibits by 19 artists are presented, e.g. turf installations and typha cushions. The art pieces are intended to promote wider public perception of peatlands, climate protection and sustainable use. The use of peat in art is critically reflected.
About one hundred art and peatland lovers attended the vernissage on 24th September. RUMOOREN! is part of the international paludiculture conference week Renewable resources from wet and rewetted peatlands 2017. The exhibition is open 25th-28th September 8 am – 8 pm and 29th September – 8th October 12 am - 6 pm at the Caspar-David-Friedrich-Institute (Bahnhofstraße 46/47, Greifswald). The entrance is free.