Irish ‘carbon-capturing bog’ purchased

According to the Leinster Leader, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) will buy the 3.5 hectares of bog, one hectare of which is capable of storing up to 8,000 tonnes of carbon.

Cillian Breathnach, IPCC conservation and reserves officer, told the newspaper that bogs can “most definitely” contribute to reducing the country’s carbon footprint.

Figures from the IPCC indicate that only 0.6% of Irish bogs remain active today, with around 1,000 hectares being lost over the last decade.

Ireland contains 50% of all raised bog habitat in Europe. Nearly half of all endangered birds in Ireland occur on peatlands.

Ireland’s peatlands store an estimated 1,200 million tonnes of carbon, with undisturbed peat capable of accumulating carbon at a rate of 0.7 tonnes per hectare per year.

The country’s peatland has been developing for the past 10,000 years.