Peatlands store twice as much carbon as forests, yet 15% of global peatlands have been drained, releasing carbon emissions. Key countries with high emissions from drained peatlands include Indonesia, where peatland degradation accounts for 50% of its greenhouse gas emissions, and countries in the European Union where peatlands make up only 2% of agricultural land but produce 75% of agricultural emissions. An atlas being developed will identify peatland hotspots to target finance and programs for large-scale restoration, with the goal of shifting practices from unsustainable to net positive impact.

1. UNFCCC
Cop 21
Paris
Peatlands and GHG
emissions
A global overview
UNFCCC Nordic Pavillion
2 December 2015

2. Peatlands around the world
Peatlands store twice more carbon than forests
• 400 million ha peatlands world wide
• 15% (50 million ha) drained and degrading, causing CO2 emissions

3. Key Parties with emissions (without fires) from
drained organic soils

4. December 2, 2015
Emissions from peatlands per country
Indication of which countries contribute most to global peatland emissions
and where it is most urgent to undertake peatland rewetting action
Nordic Pavillion

5. Emissions from peatlands
per unit national land area (in tCO2e/km2)
indicating where peatland emissions are most relevant for land use policies
UNFCCC Nordic pavillion
December 2, 2015

6. Peatland emissions
as % of national fossil fuel and cement emissions
indicating the importance of peatlands for national climate policies
UNFCCC Nordic pavillion
December 2, 2015

7.  In Indonesia 50% of GHG
emissions are from
peatlands covering only 6%
of agricultural land
Degrading peatlands are disproportionally large
emitters
 In the European Union, 75% of agricultural GHG emissions are
derived from peatlands covering only 2% of the agricultural area
peatlands deforestation
UNFCCC Nordic pavillion
December 2, 2015

8. • 25 countries together responsible for 95% of global emissions from
peatland drainage, excluding fires.
 Fires raise the importance of particularly Indonesia and Russian
Federation
• For many countries emissions from peatland degradation are over
50% of emissions from fossil fuels & cement production combined
• Most are developing countries in Africa, Asia and the America’s
• But this list also includes 7 European countries, all Annex-I.
• In an additional 25 countries emissions from peatlands equal 10-50%
of the emissions from fossil fuels and cement.
Facts from the Peatland Hotspot Maps:
UNFCCC Nordic pavillion
December 2, 2015

9. Hotspot
analysis of
degraded
peatlands
An online
Global Peatland
Hotspot Atlas
International
collaboration
for targeted
finance
Capacity
building and
upscaling
Large scale
implementation
via major
programmes
Roadmap to accelerate action for peatland restoration
Wetlands International is starting
a global programme for peatland restoration for
climate change mitigation
with CBD, UNCCD and Ramsar Convention
UNFCCC Nordic pavillion
December 2, 2015

10. We need to start a paradigm shift from
unsustainable practices to Net Positive Impact
More information on
www.wetlands.org
Thank
y u