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LVM Zemes dzīles: the Peat Industry should Promote the Reduction of GHG Emissions and Capture of CO2

Last week, an annual meeting organized by the Latvian Peat Association was held with one of the country's largest peat resource managers – LVM Zemes dzīles to discuss the direction of the industry towards sustainable and science-based activities to achieve the goals of climate neutrality.

After the annual meeting Jānis Lapiņš, Member of the Board of JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM), shared his impressions: “Representatives of the peat industry and the industry as a whole must be aware of and realize their responsibility in the transition to a climate-neutral economy. The industry has a huge potential to develop sustainable, science-based solutions for both peat extraction and production of peat products, as well as recultivation of areas used for resource extraction, which offset and reduce GHG emissions.”

Kristīne Ansone, Director of LVM Zemes dzīles, called on the peat industry to develop a quality dialogue with society and the parties involved in the industry, educating, and explaining the importance of peat in the national economy and in achieving climate goals.

“Sustainable management practices and carrying out recultivation measures are concrete solutions for the industry to reduce GHG emissions through cooperation. It is also essential to provide scientifically based arguments for the industry's ability to balance economic activity with impact mitigation measures and also in this way to contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions,” says Kristīne Ansone, Director of LVM Zemes dzīles.

In 2022, more than 4 000 ha of historically degraded peat extraction sites were surveyed, and the development of further land management plans for three facilities has already started, thus creating savings in GHG emissions, and promoting the increase of CO2 sequestration in the land use, land use change and forestry sectors.

This year, in cooperation with tenants, a more intensive recultivation of peat extraction sites was started, restoring the bog environment or reforesting areas where peat extraction has been completed. In 2023, LVM plans to recultivate bogs in an area of around 300 ha.

In general, peat resources in Latvia are currently estimated at 1.7 billion tonnes, but only about 4 % of all bogs are used for peat extraction. 69.7 % of the bog areas are in an intact state, 23.4 % have been drained, 1.8 % of the peat reserves have already been used, and 1.2 % have installed water reservoirs.