Biodiversity Climate change Natural resource development Peatlands
Integrating Peatlands into Climate Policy
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]
A policy brief from the National Peatland Policy Project
Key points
- Climate action is about more than just industrial greenhouse gas emissions, electricity and electric vehicles - it's also about protecting nature and its essential climate services.
- Canada holds one‑quarter of the planet’s peatlands, covering around 1.1 million km² and containing 150 billion tonnes of stored carbon. Healthy peatlands provide essential climate services and degrading them releases carbon we can’t get back on climate or policy‑relevant timelines.
- Development pressures are rising fast, putting high‑integrity northern peatlands at risk, especially in places like the Hudson Bay Lowlands - and sometimes in the name of climate action and the energy transition.
- Climate policy isn’t keeping up. "Clean energy" activities are degrading peatlands, peatlands barely show up in climate plans, emissions from peatland disturbance are undercounted, and Canada lacks the mapping and monitoring needed to make informed decisions.
- The solution: Integrating peatlands into climate policy, including through better accounting for peatland emissions and linking peatland protection to climate targets to ensure these ecosystems stay intact and continue delivering climate benefits.
Recommended citation
Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada] (2026). Integrating Peatlands into Climate Policy. Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]. https://wcscanada.org/resources/integrating-peatlands-into-climate-policy/
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Metadata
- Title
- Integrating Peatlands into Climate Policy
- URL
- https://wcscanada.org/resources/integrating-peatlands-into-climate-policy/
- Published
- 2026-06-02
- Author(s)
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]
- Publisher
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]
Peatlands
Peatlands are the world's largest terrestrial carbon store - and 25% of peatlands are in Canada.
The National Peatland Policy Project
Developing a strategy for the protection, restoration and stewardship of peatlands in Canada
National Peatland Strategy proposed to protect climate-critical ecosystems amid extraction and industrial development rush
WCS Canada has today unveiled a proposed National Peatland Strategy, calling on federal, provincial, and territorial governments to adopt urgent measures to safeguard Canada’s most carbon-rich ecosystems.
