The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has published the first Peatland Strategy Delivery Plan for Northern Ireland to coincide with Earth Day. This document follows the Northern Ireland Peatland Strategy to 2040, released in September 2025, which outlines 26 actions and five strategic objectives designed to meet environmental and climate commitments.

The initial Delivery Plan establishes 14 short-term targets to be achieved by December 2027, focusing on the conservation, management, and restoration of peatlands. Future iterations of the plan are expected to cover five-year cycles to align with the Northern Ireland Climate Action Plan.

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Priority actions within the plan include the collation of data for a comprehensive Peatland Asset Register and a public consultation on restricting the retail sale of peat and associated products. The department also aims to have 4,500 hectares of peatland "on the road to recovery" through existing funding by the end of 2027, alongside identifying additional sites for restoration. The plan will be supported by wider departmental strategies, such as the Ammonia Strategy, Farming with Nature, and wildfire management.

Minister Muir, announcing the publication, said: "Setting out how my department and other delivery partners will progress and scale up the recovery of our peatlands over the next two years is another milestone in turning around these valuable habitats that are not in good condition at the moment.

"Good work is already underway in areas like the Belfast Hills and Antrim Hills by National Trust and RSPB as well as in Co Tyrone where Ulster Wildlife are restoring Haughey's Bog and Black bog with support from my department, as well as Shared Island and Peace Plus programmes.

"We must embrace the power of peatlands as a nature-based solution to the climate crisis, improving water quality and reducing flooding. The value that well managed peatlands can bring to both people and nature must not be underestimated."