Ban wind farms on protected peat land in England

In its recent consultation on new onshore wind planning regulations, the government asked if some habitats, such as those containing peat soils, need extra protection from renewable energy development. We say YES! As did 90% of respondents to this question.

We think the unintended consequence of building wind farms on protected peat land would be to worsen the nature and climate crisis - peatland's stored carbon would be released as a result of infrastructure construction. Reliable analysis shows there's plenty of available land in England for all the onshore wind farms needed for the green transition, without building on protected peatland. The Government should apply the precautionary principle - there is nothing to lose by doing so.

Government will not ban onshore wind from development on peatland in England. As a low carbon emitting technology, onshore wind is a crucial part of the Government’s plans to mitigate against the devastating impacts of climate change. A recent study in 2022 from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe estimated that, even taking into account emissions from manufacturing and construction, lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions from onshore wind are up to 65 times lower than the lowest fossil fuel gas turbine generators (https://unece.org/sed/documents/2021/10/reports/life-cycle-assessment-electricity-generation-options).

By displacing dirty fossil fuels from the grid – which are the primary cause for climate change and contribute to biodiversity loss – building more onshore wind will reduce power system carbon emissions and ensure climate mitigation and adaptation. To deliver clean power by 2030, we are therefore committed to radically increasing onshore wind energy to 27-29GW by 2030, from around 14GW in Great Britian today.

Equally however, Government understands concerns that building windfarms on peat land could have a detrimental impact on our natural environment and lead to increased carbon emissions. Government recognises that our peatlands are vital habitats for biodiversity, carbon, and water; that peatlands are sensitive habitats that are important for many species of flora and fauna; and that peat soils are rich in carbon and disturbance can lead to climate impacts.

That is why we have existing protections within the planning system which require careful consideration by developers and the relevant planning authority when onshore wind farm developments are proposed on peatlands. These require developers to put in place measures to avoid, reduce, mitigate or compensate for these potential impacts.