Advancing a Just Transition for Scotland’s Peatlands Webinar

Organised by: the Rapid Engagement with Stressed Peatland Environments and Communities in Transformation (RESPECT) Project.

Date & Time: 4 February 2026, 13:15–14:30

Registration: please register here

On 4 February the RESPECT Project will host a webinar introducing new findings on the barriers and opportunities for achieving a just transition in relation to Scotland’s peatlands, featuring contributions from Peatland ACTION, Community Land Scotland, and the Irish Tóchar Wetland initiative.

Scotland has committed to restore 250,000 hectares of peatland by 2030 (and 400,000 hectares by 2040 under the new draft Climate Change Plan 2026–2040). Yet many peatlands in Scotland are under agricultural management and subject to competing environmental, economic and community priorities. The interdisciplinary Rapid Engagement with Stressed Peatland Environments and Communities in Transformation project (RESPECT) is funded by the UKRI Land Use for Net Zero programme to develop landholder tools and proposals for policy and governance reforms in support of a more sustainable future for agricultural peatlands in Scotland.

Early findings from the RESPECT project show how historic laws have shaped imbalances in power over, and benefits derived from, ‘agriculturally improved’ peatlands and reveal key barriers to delivering a fair and effective transition toward restoration and sustainable management of peatlands. These challenges include gaps in inclusive strategic land-use planning, reliance on voluntary action to deliver key public goods, and limited integration of current and future community interests in decisions on land.

This webinar will introduce the policy strand of the RESPECT project and share emerging insights into key governance and finance challenges that restrict progress towards more just peatland transitions. It will also highlight practical pathways forward, drawing on the work of organisations that are already putting ambition into practice.

Participants will hear short reflections from:

• Peatland ACTION(national funding programme), on its work in the agricultural context and the opportunities and barriers for realising collaborative projects.
• Community Land Scotland, on its Natural Capital Community Partnerships and their efforts to support community involvement in, and benefits from, Scotland’s land.
• The Tóchar Wetland initiative under the EU Just Transition Programme, on its work with peatland-based farmers and communities in the Irish Midlands.

The session will conclude with a moderated discussion and Q&A exploring how policy, practice and community-led innovation can work together to support a just transition.

If you have any further questions about this webinar, please contact Miranda Geelhoed at [email protected].