The government wants to ban new peat extraction from Norwegian bogs. The reasons are familiar: biodiversity and reduction of greenhouse gases.

The Norwegian landscape is barren and challenging to extract resources from. Norwegian bogs are no exception, but through generations we have found good use for them anyway. Through soil improvement, peat cutting, fuel and technical purposes, peat extraction is part of our cultural heritage and local value creation. Dried peat mixed into the soil is suitable for absorbing and retaining water, and today there are few, if any, alternatives that are equal to the task.

By banning the domestic extraction of peat, the market will most likely resort to imported goods. In the UK, the ban on peat in soil has led to mass imports of coconut fibre to improve garden soil.

Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen (Ap) argues that bogs are a valuable habitat type that both stores carbon and contributes to a rich biodiversity. The extraction of peat from bogs destroys these habitats and releases greenhouse gases. The ministry is now working to finalise a parliamentary bill that will enshrine this ban in law, with the aim of coming into force before 1 October 2025.

«We know that taking up peat produces large emissions. At the same time, when we leave peat in place, we also protect biodiversity. So now we’re killing two birds with one stone,” says SV’s Lars Haltbrekken to NRK.

Now the government, together with SV, prohibits extraction from new areas. Existing peat extraction will be allowed to continue operations as long as practicable. Some environmental organisations, such as BirdLife Norway, believe that the ban should be more comprehensive and that existing peat extraction should also be phased out. They point out that continued operation of existing extraction can lead to persistent greenhouse gas emissions and loss of biodiversity.

Environmental organisations and the political left currently share the ideological idea that human use of nature is to be considered a “loss”. As a rule, the ideas have little or no basis in fact. This measure joins the ranks of climate and nature measures that primarily affect rural areas and traditional industries, while the actual effect on the environment and climate is debatable. Climate emissions from Norwegian peat extraction have a marginal effect on a global scale. If, at the same time, peat and other products are imported from abroad with far higher emissions and weaker environmental regulations, an already uncertain environmental benefit becomes impossible to spot.