Identifying hotspots of greenhouse gas emissions from drained peatlands in the European Union

Abstract

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from drained peatlands account for about 7% of the total anthropogenic GHG emissions in the European Union (EU). Yet, a lack of high-resolution spatial data hampers targeted mitigation. We combined soil and land use data to generate detailed maps of land use, GHG emissions, and emission hotspots for EU+ peatlands. Undrained peatlands and those drained for forestry dominate at high latitudes, while drained Grassland and Cropland prevail around latitudes 50°−55°. Four main emission hotspots emerge: the North Sea region, eastern Germany, the Baltics together with eastern Poland, and north Ireland. The North Sea region is the largest, accounts for 20% of EU+ peatland emissions on just 4% of the peatland area. Our findings highlight the urgency of reducing emissions from drained peatlands to meet EU climate targets and reveal substantial underreporting in National UNFCCC inventories, amounting to 59–113 Mt CO2e annually. Our analysis provides a robust and spatially explicit evidence base for policymakers to prioritize peatland rewetting to reduce GHG emissions.