Last week, an annual meeting organised by the Latvian Peat Association (LKA) took place with one of the state's largest peat resource managers – “LVM Zemes dzīles” – to discuss the sector's shift towards sustainable and science-based operations to achieve climate neutrality goals.
Following the annual meeting, Jānis Lapiņš, board member of AS “Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM), emphasised: “Representatives of the peat sector and the industry as a whole must recognise and exercise their responsibility in the transition to a climate-neutral economy. The sector has enormous potential to develop sustainable, science-based solutions both in peat extraction and the production of peat products, as well as in the recultivation of areas used for resource extraction, which offsets and reduces generated GHG emissions.”
Director of “LVM Zemes dzīles” Kristīne Ansone called on the peat sector to develop a high-quality dialogue with the public and involved parties, educating them and explaining the importance of peat in the national economy and in achieving climate goals.
“Sustainable management practices and the implementation of recultivation measures are concrete solutions for the sector to reduce GHG emissions through cooperation. It is also essential to provide scientifically sound arguments regarding the sector's ability to balance economic activity with impact mitigation measures, thereby contributing to the reduction of GHG emissions,” states “LVM Zemes dzīles” director Kristīne Ansone.
In 2022, more than 4,000 hectares of historically degraded peat extraction sites were surveyed, and the preparation of land management plans for three sites has already begun, creating GHG emission savings and promoting an increase in CO2 sequestration in the land use, land-use change, and forestry sector.
In cooperation with tenants, more intensive recultivation of peat extraction sites has begun this year, restoring peatland environments or afforesting territories where peat extraction has been completed. In 2023, LVM plans to carry out peatland recultivation on an area of about 300 hectares.
In total, peat resources in Latvia are currently estimated at 1.7 billion tonnes, but only about 4% of all peatlands are used for peat extraction. 69.7% of peatland areas remain in an undisturbed state, 23.4% are drained, 1.8% of peat reserves have already been utilised, and 1.2% have been converted into water reservoirs.