[en] The statistics of 1997, collected by Turveruukki Oy, show that the horticultural peat production in Europe and Northern America is about 32.6 million m³/a. About 20.2 million m³ of horticultural peat was produced in 1997 in Western Europe and about 9.5 million m³ in Northern America. The share of Eastern Europe was 2.9 million m³. Production of fuel peat and horticultural peat in Europe are nearly equal, but most of the countries produce only horticultural peat. Finland, Russia, Ireland, Belorussia and Sweden are countries where the share of fuel peat is high. The largest producers of horticultural peat are Germany, Canada and Estonia. The share of these countries is about 60% of the production in Europe and Northern America. Germany and Canada do not produce fuel peat at all, and in Estonia the main portion of peat production area is aimed at horticultural production. About 1.6 million m³ of horticultural peat was produced in Finland in 1997, corresponding to about 8% of the horticultural peat production in Europe. The share of horticultural peat has been low also in Ireland and Sweden. The main portion of the horticultural peat production in Finland is produced side by side with the fuel peat production. Horticultural peat is exported mainly as processed and sacked peat. The horticultural peat production in Western Europe is about 20 million m³/s. The Netherlands is a were large consumer of horticultural peat, but it has no horticultural peat production of its own. Other possible countries for export are Spain and France in Europe, and Japan

[en] Due to contradictory opinions on the role of peat as a renewable energy source and carbon sink as well as the fact that no comprehensive research are made in this area, the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry (KTM) assigned an impartial working group to investigate the role of peat in climatic change. The working group consists of Patrick Crill from USA, Ken Hargreaves from Great Britain, and Atte Korhola from Finland. The objective of the working group is to study the greenhouse gas balances of virgin peatland, ditched peatlands, and cultivated peatlands. The carbon cycles will be investigated, as well as the effects of utilisation of peat on greenhouse gas balance, and the possibilities of effecting the balance with active measures. The alternatives for utilisation peatlands after the peat has been harvested, and the effects of these alternatives on greenhouse gas balance will also be studied. The effects of the peatlands left in passive natural state, the regeneration of peatlands, forestation and other usage on greenhouse gas balance will be investigated, and the need for regulations and instructions for recycling have to be estimated. The greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon sinks have to be defined, the alternative means for definition of them have to be inspected. The mutual dependence of peat and wood fuels has also to be taken into consideration. The report will to include the effects of peat on watercourses, versatility of the nature, the effect of the peat production on the amount of peat production areas, and suggestions for possible need of further investigations

[en] The expert group, appointed by the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry, consisting of Dr. Patrick Crill from USA, Dr. Ken Hargreaves from UK and college lecturer Atte Korhola from Finland, studied the role of peat in Finnish greenhouse gas emissions. The group did not produce new research information, the report of the group based on the present research data available in Finland on greenhouse gas balances of Finnish mires and peat utilization, how much greenhouse gases, e.g. methane, CO₂ and N₂O are liberated and bound by the mires. All the virgin peatlands in Finland (4.0 million ha), forest drained peatlands (5.7 million ha), peatlands used as fields in agriculture (0.25 million ha), peat harvesting and storage, as well as the actual peat production areas (0.063 million ha) are reviewed. The main factor intensifying the greenhouse effect, so called radiate forcing, is estimated to be the methane emissions from virgin peatlands, 11 million CO₂ equivalent tons per year. The next largest sources of emissions are estimated to be the CO₂ emissions of peat (8 million t/a), CO₂ emissions from peatlands in agricultural use (3.2 - 7.8 million t/a), the N₂O emissions (over 2 million t/a) and methane emissions (less than 2 million t/a) of forest ditched peatlands. Other emission sources such as actual peat production and transportation are minimal. Largest carbon sinks are clearly forest-drained peatlands (9.4 - 14.9 million t/a) and virgin peatlands (more than 3 million t/a). Main conclusions of the experts group is that peat is formed continuously via photosynthesis of mosses, sedges and under-shrub vegetation and via forest litter formation. The report discovers that the basics of the formation of peat biomass is similar to that of other plant-based biomasses, such as wood, but the time required by stratification is different. Forests in Southern Finland become ready for harvesting in about 100 years, but the formation of commercially viable peat layers takes thousands of years. The report states also that peat should be classified as biomass fuel instead of biofuels, such as wood, or fossil fuels such as coal. According to the report peat is a renewable biomass fuel like biofuels, but due to slow accumulation it should be considered as slowly renewable fuel. The report estimates that bonding of carbon in both virgin and forest drained peatlands are so high that it can compensate the emissions formed in combustion of energy peat