Northern peatlands in transition in the 21st Century – land use, status, policies and future trajectories: comparisons between Finland, Ireland and Scotland

Climate change and biodiversity losses have necessitated innovative approaches to peatland management. This study examines pivotal historical landmarks and the recent forces of change that have affected peatlands in Finland, Ireland and Scotland, highlighting how national contexts, such as land ownership, forestry, agriculture and the need for domestic energy sources, have shaped the peatland use in those countries. We further introduce national and EU policies, which include, for example, national peatland strategies, and identify barriers to sustainable management of these important ecosystems. We propose six key solutions that could improve peatland persistence more broadly in northern Europe: (1) adoption of an integrated, landscape-scale strategy for rewetting and restoration with multi-stakeholder collaboration, (2) enhancement of monitoring to improve outcomes and refine best practices, (3) alignment of both national and EU policies across relevant sectors (energy, climate change, biodiversity, land use) to promote sustainable peatland management, (4) minimisation of trade-offs between green energy transition and sustainable peatland management, (5) engagement with local communities in restoration efforts for better acceptability and outcomes, and (6) wider leverage of market-based mechanisms, such as carbon, biodiversity and water credits, to finance peatland restoration. Together, these measures provide a pathway for the sustainable management of northern peatlands by balancing environmental integrity with socio-economic needs.