Tag: DEFRA

Sale of horticultural peat to be banned in move to protect England’s precious peatlands

Stuart Mitchell

All sales of peat to amateur gardeners in England will be banned by 2024, the UK Government has announced. Peatlands are the UK’s largest carbon store but only approximately 13% of our peatlands are in a near-natural state. This degradation has occurred due to drainage for agricultural use, overgrazing and burning, as well as extraction for use in growing media. Bagged retail growing media accounts for 70% of the peat sold in the UK and is frequently misused, for example being used as a soil improver rather than a medium…

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Water sector to plunge £2.8 billion into the green recovery

Stuart Mitchell

The water sector is set to invest £2.8 billion in environmental projects to help the country build back greener. Ofwat, in collaboration with Defra, the Environment Agency, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, and CCW, wrote to water companies last year and challenged them to identify ways to support the country’s green economic recovery from COVID-19. Companies were asked to bring forward new proposals and accelerating existing ones to deliver an innovative and more resilient future for customers, society and the environment. Following that, Ofwat sets out plans to support £850 million…

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FareShare awarded £16m grant from DEFRA to help feed vulnerable people this winter

Stuart Mitchell

A new grant of £16m has been awarded by the government to FareShare, to help meet an increased demand for food this winter from those most in need. “We welcome the Government’s further financial support on behalf of the 11,000 frontline charities we provide food to in England, who in turn created over 3 million meals a week to help their clients at the height of the first lockdown. Both through this winter, and through the undoubtedly tough economic conditions set to impact the country this coming year, it is…

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Heathrow takes vital step towards carbon neutrality

Stuart Mitchell

Heathrow has announced its investment in an unique project in UK aviation: the restoration of UK peatlands to offset carbon emissions.  Working with the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and DEFRA, Heathrow’s first restoration priority will be Little Woolden Moss, part of Chat Moss which is a larger area of peat bog land, west of Manchester, it has been subject to commercial peat extraction for over 15 years.   The restoration of the UK’s peatland bogs, forms part of Heathrow’s plans to be a carbon neutral airport by 2020. By supporting research…

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