Carbon Connects in the North Pennines

Carbon Connects was a €4.5 million project funded by Interreg (North West Europe) which reduced carbon dioxide emissions and enhanced carbon sequestration of damaged peatlands in North Western Europe. Carbon Connects involved 16 project partners from government, business, research and landowners groups spread across the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

The North Pennines National Landscape partnership, on behalf of Durham County Council, was a partner in the Carbon Connects project.

Carbon Connects in the North Pennines delivered the following objectives:

1. Restored 10 hectares of blanket bog through revegetation. This addressed sites which were degraded and becoming drier due to historic loss of sphagnum.
2. Facilitated the development of Countryside Stewardship Agreements with landowners in the North Pennines National Landscape so that they included restoration plans and capital funds for peatland restoration.
3. Worked to increase the supply chain of plug plants needed for the revegetation of damaged peatland through new specialist upland plant nursery capacity.

Four years into the project in spring 2021, Carbon Connects was granted an extension and continued until December 2023. This last phase of the project focused on providing new financial incentives for peatland restoration, exploring opportunities for private companies to invest in peatland restoration to meet corporate social responsibility and carbon reduction targets, and addressing barriers to investment. The North Pennines National Landscape partnership have successfully secured investment for restoration from several private companies through this approach since the start of the project. Find further information on Carbon Connects here .