Discussion: Should development of

peatland support a research levy?

What don’t we know:

Related to wind farm development:Recovery time (insufficient studies) vegetation response water table & extent of drainage learning about drainage but not about

gas emissions?What happens to peat in a borrow pit?How significant is the impact of roads on

carbon storage / loss / hydrology?

What happens on rewetting?Temporal significance of changes in water table (4% CH4 = 100 % CO2)

Context

There are current examples of national reinvestment for anthropogenic use of natural resources:

Aggregates levy: The levy is charged at a fixed amount per tonne of aggregates. A proportion of this green levy goes to an aggregates levy sustainability fund to support projects to encourage green strategies

Landfill tax (charged by weight; LOs receive a credit for a proportion of the tax they send to the Government. This can then be donated to organisations.)

Developing the carbon landscape (independent of the use) also represents use of natural resources, and where peatland is concerned, of an important slow-to-accumulate C reservoir

Context

Windfarm and Peatlands Good Practice Principles

“principles are designed to support further dialogue, not provide the detailed direction that is more appropriate in formal planning and other statutory guidance on wind farm development”

Context

Principle 4: The renewables industry will engage with stakeholders to provide support for applied research into key areas of peatland science relevant to understanding the impacts of development on the various peatland qualities including biodiversity, carbon and hydrology.

Principle 3 The renewables industry will assist in improving the knowledge base on the impacts of development on peatland and the effectiveness of peatland rehabilitation through putting in place scientific monitoring and sharing of data with other stakeholders, where appropriate.

Context

CLAD experience: research investment so has been borne by few … but the results will be relevant to all.

A levy (associated with the size of the development on peatlands) will be a fair approach to apportion responsibility for research?

Not just wind farms

Peat-cutting in Central Scotland(image date: 2005)

Other developments on/of C landscapes

Coal extraction

Deep heather burning

Infrastructure roads e.g. M90

Housing developments? (not so likely)

We have sufficient maps of carbon density to identify ‘at-risk’ areas

Comments on research

Provides answers that can save hours discussing complex question - but time-scale to generate this may be long

Moves understanding beyond commissioning a review

Output may not be beneficial to interests of all bodies

Studies may give conflicting results

May require monitoring ≠ monitoring

Discussion points

What benefits does such a levy bring? Why are the disadvantages of such a levy?

If implemented: What should the levy be used for? How to quantify the value of the levy and who

should calculate this? How to administer such a levy?

Where would the fund sit?Who to benefit?What areas of research?

Example response

Where would the fund sit? With the Scottish Executive

Who to benefit?If Scottish levy then Scottish research

institutes? What areas of research?

Generic, not site-specific questions?For wind farm-related research, those

defined by principle 4: biodiversity, carbon and hydrology

‘Experimental site’ and ‘site-owned equipment’

Discussion points

What benefits does such a levy bring? Why are the disadvantages of such a levy?

If implemented: What should the levy be used for? How to quantify the value of the levy and who

should calculate this? How to administer such a levy?

Where would the fund sit?Who to benefit?What areas of research?

Where from here?

Summarise views

Distribute for network peer review

How to attribute comments?

Submit report to Scottish Executive and stakeholders e.g. SRF for consideration?

Final thought: if not a levy, but a donation to a registered charity (Universities) can industry claim tax back?

A cheaper way to support problem-focussed research?