Led by the University of Glasgow, Rapid Engagement with Stressed Peatland Environments and Communities in Transformation (RESPECT) is an innovative project that will produce data, methods, landholder tools and proposals for governance reforms to change agricultural practices on peatland, and reduce emissions from land use.

RESPECT was awarded £4.5 million by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Land Use for Net Zero Research programme over three years. It is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow, and the Universities of Newcastle, Hull and Stirling, that brings together expertise in law, archaeology, ecology and environmental geography.

Professor Sara Carter, Vice-Principal of the University of Glasgow, said: “The University of Glasgow is recognised as a world leader in undertaking research that addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This important project will help repair degraded peatland, improving carbon storage and wildlife habitats.”

Dr Amy Proctor, Newcastle University School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, will be co-leading work to establish the social capacity of key land stakeholders to undertake peatland restoration in the Humber and Forth case study catchments, and the conditions necessary for this. Along with a PDRA, she will also contribute to the production of a suite of recommended governance reforms to scaffold the social innovations necessary to achieve transformative change in relation to peatland restoration on agricultural land, and integrate land use goals within the Scottish and English contexts.

Co-Investigator Dr Amy Proctor, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Rural Economy, Newcastle University, said “This project builds on the excellent applied research we are already doing here at Newcastle University around sustainable land use and farming. Working with key stakeholders and local communities, we hope to develop new tools and approaches for peatland restoration which help farmers and land managers to achieve net zero goals.”

A novel approach

RESPECT will collate data through novel interdisciplinary collection, modelling and engagement methods. These data will establish the capacity of land and land users to contribute to the net zero target, as well as generate other social and environmental co-benefits, balanced against conflicting land use demands, within the context of climate change.

The baseline data will inform the production of a Peatland Triage Tool, providing decision-support for landowners, land managers, farmers and crofters seeking to undertake peatland restoration.

Governance reforms will be proposed to scaffold the social innovations necessary for transformative change. Two case study regions - the Forth and Humber Catchments in Scotland and England - will be investigated in-depth, where tensions exist between food production, historic environment preservation, carbon sequestration and ecological restoration.

RESPECT will work closely with separately funded UKRI initiative, the Land Use for Net Zero Hub: Lunzhub.com. Established in November 2023, the LUNZ Hub is working to provide all four UK administrations with the rapid evidence they need to develop policies that will drive the UK land transformation required to achieve Net Zero by 2050, alongside other environmental targets.

This is one of five UK research projects to have received a share of £14.5 million under phase two of the Transforming Land Use for Net Zero, Nature and People programme.

Adapted with thanks from the University of Glasgow. Read the original press release.