Deriving a justified budget for peatland rewetting – Applying the German coal phase-out as a blueprint

• Published in: Land use policy 2024-12, Vol.147, p.107363, Article 107363
• Main Authors: Sommer, Pia, Lakner, Sebastian, Nordt, Anke, Tanneberger, Franziska, Wegmann, Johannes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon neutrality; Land use policy; Peatland drainage phase-out; Peatland rewetting; Socio-technical transition; Sustainable transition
• ISSN: 0264-8377
• DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107363

Carbon emissions of peatlands drained for agriculture and forestry contribute more than 7 % to total GHG emissions in various countries worldwide. Hence, reducing these emissions by ending peatland drainage is a significant contribution to a transition towards carbon neutrality and being in line with the Paris Agreement. To achieve this goal, swift action is needed. Using Germany as a case study, we scrutinize whether the German coal phase-out can serve as a ‘blueprint’ to end drainage on agriculturally used peatlands, using six categories (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal). We also calculate a politically justified budget for a peatland drainage phase-out comparable to the coal phase-out in terms of the socially acceptable mitigation of CO2 emissions. Our results suggest that the current pace of rewetting is too slow in comparison to a rewetting path following the Paris Agreement and would create an area gap of about 560,000 ha and a resulting CO2 emission gap of 84.6–148 Mt CO2 by 2029. We show that both, peatland drainage phase-out and coal phase-out, are socio-technical transitions which require governmental intervention and a guided-level perspective. For a governed peatland drainage phase-out in Germany which is 1.5°C compatible, we determine a politically justified total budget between 13.8 and 16 billion €. •The phase-out approach could be well suited to end peatland drainage as it has been for the coal phase-out.•The PESTLE approach underlines the far-reaching changes of peatland rewetting along six dimensions.•Phasing out drainage-based agriculture on peatlands is a socio-technical transition.•We determine a politically justified total budget of 14 and 16 billion € for the peatland drainage phase-out in Germany.