High-er Five for peatland!
An ambitious plan to support peatland restoration in Wales over the next five years has been unveiled by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) on World Soil Day (5/12/25).
The Wales Peatland Action plan for 2025-2030 is notable for the upscale in restoration targets. Led by the National Peatland Action Programme (NPAP), managed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), and funded by Welsh Government, the aim is to move faster, with partners, to safeguard this unique soil which provides so much.
Deputy First Minister, with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said: “Given all the energy that’s gone into beating the targets of the first five years, I am confident that these partners can deliver even higher targets in the next five years. By 2030 we hope to triple the peatland restoration rate by delivering 1800ha of restoration annually.”
Mannon Lewis, NRW’s Strategic Projects lead for NPAP explained: “We appreciate the vital support of Welsh Government in the upscale. The 2025-2030 Wales Peatland Action plan involves upscaling the delivery and breadth of supporting actions. We will build on what we learnt and restore more peatland, including through increased funding to partners. This means we will also increase the capacity for green jobs and contracting, refine the monitoring and evidence, and continue to share peatland expertise with policy makers and in planning. We appreciate the public support for peatland restoration to date and will continue to report publicly with even more detailed data on the Wales Peatland Data Map.”
Peatlands are unique in their biodiversity, and particularly valuable because they retain 30% of our land-based carbon although they cover only 4% of Wales. Yet, to support future generations, this valuable land asset needs urgent protection and restoration. Currently 90% of Welsh peatland is damaged and in this condition releases greenhouse gases, actively contributing to climate change. This is why the role of NPAP, initially set up by Welsh Government and NRW as a five-year Programme, is expanding. The aim is to maximise the gains of peatland restoration in tackling both the Nature and Climate emergencies, as well as to improve resilience to flood and fire risk in the landscape. Working in partnership, and building on the five-year experience gained in restoring 3600ha, the next five years sees a transformative phase of ambition, scale, and collaboration for NPAP.
There is currently a competitive Peatland Restoration Grant (£10K-£250K), open to private landowners and public/voluntary organisations alike, for the development or delivery of peatland restoration. The deadline for applications is 14 January 2026, with a guidance webinar uploaded for potential applicants.
Information about the work funded through NPAP is publicly available through the Wales Peatland Data Map and examples of over 100 possible restoration actions can be found in the NPAP peatland restoration glossary. The short introductory videos, ‘Wales Peatland’ and ‘Peatlands: the good, the bad and the land healers’, are also available to view online.
Further details on peatland restoration in Wales can be found on NPAP’s webpage or by emailing npap@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk.