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01-Sep-2008
September 1, 2008.
The UK think tank Policy Exchange has presented the costs of the most important climate measures. Reducing emissions from tropical peatlands is by far the cheapest way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions; using biofuels is by far the most expensive measure.
The study ‘The Root of the Matter’ shows the magnitude of emissions due to peatland and forest loss. Costs for reducing these emissions range from 0,1 euro per tonne carbon dioxide for peatlands to maximum 30 euro for forests. The costs for nuclear energy, the use of hydrogen and especially biofuels are much higher, up to around 600 euro per tonne.
The environmental NGO Wetlands International welcomes the recommendation of the authors to provide much more support to peatland restoration in tropical regions. This is currently a major work field for our organisation.
Peatland restoration
The study confirms the outcomes of studies of Wetlands International and supports our case to give much more attention to the emissions from peatlands in international climate policies (UN-FCCC). Currently, peatlands emissions are largely ignored. They are rarely reported and there are no incentives to reduce the enormous CO2 emission from tropical peatlands.
Click here to read the study (pdf) or a related article on Mongabay.
Related subjects: our work on peatlands and biofuels.
Alex Kaat, Wetlands International
+31 (0)317 486776
+31 (0)6 5060 1917
