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Call to protect peatlands for climate amid heatwaves

RHS open letter to Government calls on action to enable the horticultural industry to overcome final hurdles in transition to peat-free

As the UK faced its third red alert heatwave of the summer, the RHS has sent an open letter, with the support of the National Trust, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Peat Free Partnership, calling on the next Prime Minister to put people and planet first and take action on climate change.  
 
With UK peatlands storing almost 3 billion tonnes of carbon, it is vital this carbon is kept locked up in peat as a critical way to tackle climate change. New peat accumulates on average at a rate of only 1mm per year, so preventing damage to peatlands by ending extraction for horticulture is vital, alongside the work of organisations across the UK who are restoring and protecting peat habitats.
 
This is why the RHS is calling on Government to:  
 
  • Set a clear, achievable roadmap with a date and timetable for legislation to ban the sale of peat for horticulture  
  • Fund peat-free research, knowledge transfer and infrastructure   
  • Provide clear peat-free labelling definitions for industry and consumers   

Extraction of peat for horticulture contributes to climate change and destroys habitats
UK horticulture is leading the world in the move to peat-free, and is growing more peat-free plants than ever. But for nurseries and growers, the final stretch is the hardest: complex international supply chains, with around 60% of young plants sourced from abroad and many still grown in peat; limited access to shared knowledge to transition; a lack of legislation; and costly equipment changes are creating major barriers.

Without Government action, those doing the right thing risk being left to shoulder the cost and time-intensive resource to try and map out if plants started life grown in peat. 
 
From challenges the RHS is hearing from growers, designers and nurseries, the gardening charity believes the horticultural industry is on a cliff edge and risks going backwards on its transition to peat-free if legislation and funding is not forthcoming. The RHS therefore calls on Government to stand up for horticulture and the planet. 
 
Healthy peatlands support valuable biodiversity and lock up carbon for thousands of years
Clare Matterson CBE, RHS Director General, says; “The RHS has invested £2.5 million of charitable funds into peat-free research, and over 150,000 hours researching peat-free growing and supporting the industry. We remain committed to supporting the industry, but we simply cannot do it alone.   
 
“The horticultural industry is passionate about the planet and being able to grow and celebrate a diversity of plants for pollinators, wildlife, reducing pollution and combatting climate change. This is why we are supporting growers as they transition – to enable UK gardens to thrive as some of the most biodiverse places in the country, while also protecting our precious peat bogs. 
 
“With the right Government action, the UK has an opportunity to show real leadership: helping horticulture complete the transition, protecting peatlands, and demonstrating how biodiverse green spaces can support both planet and people.” 
 

Open letter to Government

To the next Prime Minister, 
 
In your first role as Prime Minister — and as we make this call following a red-alert heatwave — the RHS has a simple but urgent message: Government must put the planet and people first. The extreme weather we are experiencing underlines why action on climate, nature and resilient green spaces cannot wait.
 
That must include urgent support for horticulture’s transition to peat-free growing. This is a sector of major economic as well as environmental importance: environmental horticulture and landscaping contributed £38 billion to the UK economy and supported more than 722,000 jobs in 2023. The industry has worked hard to make changes, and the RHS has backed that transition with practical help, but Government has still not provided the legislation, clear guidance, funding and infrastructure needed for the sector to complete the job.
 
Peatlands store almost 3 billion tonnes of carbon, making their protection vital to tackling climate change. Yet without a clear, achievable roadmap to ban horticultural uses of peat, the UK risks losing momentum just as growers, retailers and gardeners are making real progress.
 
The RHS has already invested £2.5 million and 150,000 hours to help horticulture go peat-free, working with more than 850 nurseries, advising over 200 retailers and creating the RHS Peat-Free Fellowship to drive practical change with industry and Government.
 
 In the absence of Government legislation, we have also developed our own policy so RHS shows, gardens and retail centres lead by example. But industry tells us it is struggling without clear Government guidance and support, and that complex supply chains make it extremely challenging to guarantee every plant is peat-free, particularly where imports are involved.
 
The consequences are already being felt. Despite allowing legacy peat to support the transition, two growers have withdrawn from RHS Chelsea 2027 and others have raised concerns about compliance. RHS Chelsea is the world’s great showcase for UK horticulture — a platform that demonstrates our national strength in gardening, horticultural excellence, design and innovation to millions at home and internationally. If growers are held back by supply-chain barriers and lack of Government support, we risk undermining both a flagship British success story and a high-value sector that delivers jobs, skills, tourism, green growth and the environmental progress the country urgently needs.
 
With 70 per cent of UK gardeners and RHS members buying peat-free growing media, we call on Government to:
 

  • Set a clear, achievable roadmap with a date and timetable for legislation to ban the sale of peat for horticulture
  • Fund peat-free research, knowledge transfer and infrastructure
  • Provide clear peat-free labelling definitions for industry and consumers
 
The RHS remains committed to supporting industry, but we cannot do it alone. With the right Government action, the UK has an opportunity to show real leadership: helping horticulture complete the transition, protecting peatlands and demonstrating how thriving, biodiverse green spaces can support both planet and people.
 
This call is backed by broad cross-sector support from organisations across horticulture, conservation, heritage and environmental protection, reflecting the shared urgency of completing the transition to peat-free growing.
 
Clare Matterson CBE
Director General, Royal Horticultural Society
 
Hilary McGrady CBE
Director General, National Trust
 
Professor Julia Knights
Regius Keeper, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
 
Peat-free Partnership
 
Tom Stuart Smith OBE
 
Sarah Eberle MBE
 
Jason Williams


 
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