Peatland policy cooperation and policy learning for paludiculture – policy networks across the Baltic Sea region

Peatlands cover only 3% of the world’s land surface but contain 500 gigatonnes of carbon which is twice as much as all the biomass of the world’s forests. Peatland drainage allows oxygen to enter the peat, resulting in CO2 and often also N2O emissions. Drained peatlands cause disproportionally high CO2 emissions and are responsible for nearly 5% of the world’s anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Thus, protecting and rewetting peatlands becomes crucial in tackling the climate crisis. In times of rising pressure and conflict on land use, integrated concepts such as paludiculture - the agricultural use of wet or rewetted peatlands - gain importance. Paludiculture is broadly conceived not only as agricultural technique but also as idea, practice, political concept and strategy spreading across institutions in multi-level environmental and climate governance. In this paper, we study policy learning towards agenda-setting for paludiculture policy looking into social networks across the Baltic Sea region. Countries bordering the Baltic Sea are rich on mires and peatlands, making the region relevant for natural carbon storage in organic soils. It is especially interesting to study the Baltic Sea region because it has a long history of joint and successful environmental cooperation through the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (Helsinki Commission), and the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region aims to develop the region to become the first sustainable Macro-region in Europe with its three objectives to saving the sea, connecting the region, and increasing prosperity. The paper addresses the following research questions: What types of actors, organizations, and interest groups are involved in the paludiculture policy network? How is this network structured? How do network structures enable or hinder policy learning regarding the concept of paludiculture across the Baltic Sea region? The paper uses data from policy documents, surveys, and semi-structured expert interviews with key stakeholders and state actors and gives insights into power dynamics and patterns of conflict and collaboration in peatland politics. We investigate well-established and growing peatland policy networks that connect the region scientifically, politically, and economically and shape policymaking and decision-making on peatland politics in the Baltic Sea region and beyond.