Sustain response to Defra consultation on ending the retail sale of peat in horticulture in England and Wales

Key points:

• The target should be brought in line with the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee: to ban the extraction and sale of peat, including imports, by 2023.
• This should be a complete ban on the sale of peat, covering retail and professional use.
• Mandatory reporting and point-of-sale charges will not have a sufficient effect and cannot be seen as alternatives to putting a ban in place promptly.
• There are numerous viable peat-free alternatives, but the government must be supportive of further research to ensure they are cost-effective and widely available.