Rewetting and protecting peatlands can deliver the province of Utrecht an emission reduction of 620 kton CO₂-eq per year by 2030, plus 17 kton of carbon sequestration. Utrecht’s peat meadows cover about 42,000 hectares — nearly a third of the province.
What it is
Peat is 50% carbon and, after the ocean, the second-largest natural carbon store; worldwide, peatlands hold roughly twice as much carbon as all forests combined. Drainage lets peat oxidise, releasing CO₂ and causing the soil to subside. The solution focuses on rewetting — capturing and holding water to re-saturate the soil — and on paludiculture, cultivating crops that protect the peat soil.
Potential in Utrecht
The total addressable market is 42,000 hectares of peat meadow, of which 30,000 hectares are highly prone to subsidence and 12,000 hectares relatively intact. For high-risk areas, the reduction potential is 16.5 tonnes CO₂-eq per hectare per year. The plausible scenario protects and restores part of this area, yielding 420 kton reduction; the ambitious scenario protects 97% of the least sensitive peat and restores 76% of the most sensitive peat, reaching 620 kton reduction plus 17 kton sequestration.
Co-benefits
Beyond preventing emissions and subsidence, restoring peatlands increases biodiversity and the capacity to retain carbon. Rewetting makes the peat landscape more resilient to drought and further degradation.
Provincial policy
Utrecht’s peat meadows make up about 14% of the Dutch peat area. The Environmental Vision sets the goal of reducing subsidence by an average of 50% by 2030; an explicit CO₂-eq reduction target is being developed. The regional translation of the Climate Agreement amounts to a contribution of 0.14 Mton reduction.
In practice
The Groot Wilnis-Vinkeveen area cooperative restores and protects peat meadow; a peat-meadow infiltration system in Peilvak 9 has rewetted a large area, countering oxidation and subsidence. Dairy farmer Joost Samson from Wilnis developed his own sub-irrigation method, and Valuta voor Veen rewards farmers who rewet their plots through a regional CO₂-compensation scheme.
Frequently asked questions
How much CO₂ can peatland protection save in Utrecht?
According to this assessment, up to 620 kton CO₂-eq reduction plus 17 kton sequestration per year by 2030 (ambitious scenario), or 420 kton reduction in the plausible scenario.
Why does drained peat emit CO₂?
When drained, peat oxidises; the stored carbon is released as CO₂ and the soil subsides. Rewetting reverses that process.
What is paludiculture?
Cultivating crops that thrive on wet peat soil and protect and restore it (‘palus’ is Latin for marsh).
Source: Preliminary Climate Solutions Assessment for the province of Utrecht (Drawdown Europe & New Economy, 2021), based on the Project Drawdown methodology. Part of the sector-based climate action plan for the province of Utrecht.