Three lessons for the transition to Net Zero

In 1991 Friends of the Earth produced ‘Gardening without peat’ described as an essential book on peat alternatives.  Over 30 years later, despite numerous campaigns, there is still no ban on the commercial sale of peat.  For the UK’s journey to Net Zero this matters.  UK peatbogs are estimated to hold 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon.  Every year it is calculated that 24 million tonnes of carbon is released through their degradation.

Banning the sale of peat is a relatively straight-forward step in the transition to Net Zero and exploring why it hasn’t happened reveals three important lessons for the wider and more complex changes required.

The importance of legislation

At a Royal Horticulture Society event this December a DEFRA official admitted what has long been obvious that ‘voluntary agreements don’t work’.  Ever since the banning of peat started to enter the public debate, industry has effectively kicked the can down the road by highlighting the voluntary steps being taken.

It was only when DEFRA made an announcement in May 2022 that they intended to finally introduce the ban that the horticultural sector really woke up to the challenge.  There is still uncertainty as to whether the proposed ban will turn into reality, but the direction of travel is now so clear that industry is reacting. 

It is not only headline legislation that is important.  Exploring sustainable alternatives for peat has revealed that there are other procedural blockers that hinder the transition.  These blockers are often unintended and illustrate that policymakers must view the changes they are making from the perspective of the shift to Net Zero.

Transition is complex and costly

The horticultural sector has built the way it operates around peat.  Transitioning to other materials is complex and fraught with risk particularly for certain plant types.  There are heart-breaking stories of small independent growers seeing a whole season of plants and income being lost because their move away from peat failed.  Alternatively, there are stories particularly from larger companies of successful adaptations.

The experience of the sector reveals that there needs to be more collaboration and transparency around significant transitions, particularly between larger and smaller companies.  There is an important role for trade bodies and academic institutions to play enabling knowledge to be shared in a way that doesn’t harm competitive advantage but allows for essential information to be spread quickly.

Inevitably fundamentally changing processes involves additional cost.  One manufacturer has estimated that the cost of an effective peat replacement is 25% greater than using peat.  Over time these costs will reduce but more needs to be done to support the transition either by making the high carbon option more expensive or by providing short-term transitional investment.

The horticultural sector is international with plug plants being imported in peat from countries such as the Netherlands and Germany.  Currently there is less pressure in these countries to phase out peat and this builds in added complexity for the UK sector as it seeks to make the required transition. 

Environmental campaigns need to be more sophisticated

There are significant lessons for the environmental campaigning organisations.  Too many times they lost interest when they assumed that the campaign was won and didn’t drive home the legislative change when opportunities arose. 

There seems to be an unwillingness to engage in conversation with progressive companies within the industry.  Campaign groups pushed for a blanket ban rather than have a more nuanced conversation with policymakers which would have allowed more time to be given to areas where the transition is complex.

The campaign groups have been unable to build sufficient customer pressure to persuade industry that they needed to change.  Garden centres report limited concern from their customer base.  More tellingly, large manufactures indicate that it is only three of their major retail customers who are insisting on change with the majority putting no pressure on them.

The peat story indicates the challenges behind any successful transition.  What it shows is that there needs to be harmony between legislators, industry and customers for it to occur smoothly.  If any one element is missing it is likely that change will be slow and disjointed.