However, despite their slow growth of 0.5 to 2 mm per year, the remaining moorlands have become enormous carbon sinks over the last 11,000 years. Moors bind one third of terrestrial carbon; every year, they remove 150 to 250 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere worldwide. This is why moorland protection must be an indispensable part of our fight against climate change.
Intact moorlands also produce the greenhouse gas methane. It is produced during natural peat formation in moors and does not affect its undoubtedly favourable carbon footprint. However, moorlands aren’t just uniquely effective climate sinks. Their hydraulic properties, helped also by the highly absorbent peat moss, mean they function like giant sponges. By storing water when it rains and releasing it into the environment when it is dry, moorlands prevent damage from flooding and heat waves. Moorlands also act as a filter by permanently binding nutrients and pollutants dissolved in the water during peat formation.