A €19.2 million cross-border initiative to restore peatlands, boost biodiversity and cut carbon emissions has been unveiled at the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre on World Wetlands Day.

Led by Ulster Wildlife, the PEAT+ Project is funded through the PEACEPLUS programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Delivery partners include Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon District Council; Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Donegal; the Crichton Carbon Centre; Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark; Fermanagh & Omagh District Council; Newry, Mourne & Down District Council; the Mourne Heritage Trust; and RTÉ, with NI Water and the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) acting as associate partners.

Over the next three years, the project will undertake large-scale restoration across Northern Ireland and Ireland's border counties on 19 priority sites, alongside innovation, research and work to promote peatland heritage.

Although significant restoration has already taken place across Ireland, an estimated 80% of peatlands remain degraded and continue to release carbon. Reviving these habitats is seen as vital for climate action, nature recovery, improved water quality and reduced flood risk.

The programme will also support threatened peatland-associated species such as the golden plover and the large heath butterfly.

Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir MLA said: "The PEAT+ programme provides a unique opportunity for collaboration between landowners, project partners, and statutory agencies across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This partnership approach will not only enable effective delivery of peatland restoration but also foster lasting legacy relationships to support future initiatives.

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"My Department is delighted to support this initiative, recognizing that peatland restoration will deliver on multiple strategic objectives – enhancing biodiversity, improving climate resilience, and increasing carbon storage – while also creating opportunities for local communities through job creation and sustainable economic growth."

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne TD said: "I welcome the ambition of this impressive project to restore and safeguard some of our most valuable habitats – our peatlands. With the National Parks & Wildlife Service of my Department as an associate partner, this project will have a lasting impact on Special Areas of Conservation across border counties and in Glenveagh National Park. Initiatives such as the PEAT+ Project create opportunities for us to share knowledge and skills and join forces across the island of Ireland to restore these habitats for nature and to enhance our environment and wellbeing. I would like to congratulate Ulster Wildlife and all of the partners involved and wish them well with their efforts."

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O'Sullivan TD said: "Peatlands are uniquely valuable habitats – not only for their wildlife and environmental benefits, but also in terms of their role in our culture and heritage across this island. We have a shared ambition to restore these amazing places and protect their biodiversity for the future, with approaches that are backed by scientific evidence and delivered in collaboration with communities, landowners and state bodies.

"Ireland's National Parks & Wildlife Service has significant expertise in this area. Recent programmes to restore blanket bogs and raised bogs are beginning to show positive trends, and I am delighted that we are in a position to bring this experience to bear to support the PEAT + Project. We have much to share with and learn from each other, and I look forward to following the progress as we work together to help our peatlands thrive again."

SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: "PEAT+ will make a direct contribution to the objectives of PEACEPLUS. By restoring habitats and species within protected sites, the project will help create more resilient ecosystems. Our natural environment is one of our most valuable assets and its protection is essential for the long-term wellbeing of all our communities across the region.

"PEAT+ aims to protect habitats and species of international significance, while also addressing carbon storage and water regulation. This partnership brings together scientific knowledge, land management experience and community engagement skills. It is a partnership that reflects the cross-border nature of the challenge and the shared responsibility to address it."

Ulster Wildlife's CEO Dawn Miskelly said: "We're very proud to be leading this really significant project that will make a lasting difference for nature, people and climate. Our peatlands are real powerhouses of habitats that provide multiple benefits for wildlife, for communities and for the economy.

"We're looking forward to working closely with our project partners, landowners and communities, along with our funding partner SEUPB through the PEACEPLUS Programme to deliver meaningful change – because investing in our natural environment, is investing in all our shared futures."