Project to restore part of the drained peatland
Project to restore part of the drained peatland
Unilever Rus is implementing a partnership project to restore part of the drained peat bog in the Tver region together with the Center for Sustainable Development Technologies LLC (CTUR) with the participation of TvSTU. The project is aimed at creating conditions for increasing the natural humidity of previously drained peat deposits. This is the first natural climate project of the business for secondary watering of drained peat bogs in Russia and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Orshinsky Moss is the largest swamp massif in Central Russia and one of the largest swamp massifs in Europe. Its area is more than 70 thousand hectares. During its active use throughout the 20th century, about 25 thousand hectares were drained.
Swamps are some of the main natural carbon storage on Earth. Carbon accumulates in them in the form of undecomposed plants, in other words - peat - subject to excessive moisture, and is stored for thousands of years. But when draining swamps, peat begins to decompose and release accumulated carbon into the atmosphere, which is significantly accelerated during peat fires. The Unilever Rus climate project is being implemented on an area of 1200 hectares of the drained part of the peat bog and is aimed at returning excessive moisture conditions, which will restore the disturbed natural ecosystem.
The Institute of Global Climate and Ecology (IGCE) has developed a national methodology for secondary flooding of drained temperate peatlands. The methodology was presented at the UN Climate Summit SOR-28 (Dubai, UAE) in December 2023. And in the same 2023, Unilever Rus became the first company in Russia to start implementing a separate climate project using this methodology.
As a result, the project team will create conditions for the accumulation of atmospheric precipitation in subsequent years, which will ultimately lead to the formation of conditions close to natural swamps, and the peatland will perform its natural functions. As in any natural climate projects, the effect will directly depend on natural conditions. According to the estimates of the partners - Unilever Rus and TSUR, the first results of the climate project related to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved in 2026. On January 9, 2025, the first natural-climatic project in Russia for the restoration of drained swamp ecosystems was registered in the register of carbon units. In November, the project was presented at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Azerbaijan, Baku).
Effects:
—The result of the climate project will be a projected total reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 170,419 tons of CO2 equivalent during the first 10 years of the project
—Secondary watering of drained peatlands also brings additional positive effects:
• Reduction of fire hazard of the territory - since the project territory is still in a drained state
• Restoring unique ecosystems - the area is of great value to birds, animals and plants.
• The possibility of expanding the project and its results - planting wild plants and berry crops in certain parts of the peatland, creating conditions for the implementation of projects for the development of biodiversity.
• Combating global warming - Increasing greenhouse gas emissions increase the Earth's global average temperature, leading to increased natural disasters, including fires, and climate change across the planet. The risks of coastal flooding, reduced drinking water supplies are increasing, and terrestrial and marine ecosystems are at risk. That is why today all countries are interested in implementing projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, developing and implementing effective technological and natural solutions to absorb greenhouse gases. Climate projects for secondary watering of drained peatlands are just such natural solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Reduction of fire hazard of the territory - since the project territory is still in a drained state
• Restoring unique ecosystems - the area is of great value to birds, animals and plants.
• The possibility of expanding the project and its results - planting wild plants and berry crops in certain parts of the peatland, creating conditions for the implementation of projects for the development of biodiversity.
• Combating global warming - Increasing greenhouse gas emissions increase the Earth's global average temperature, leading to increased natural disasters, including fires, and climate change across the planet. The risks of coastal flooding, reduced drinking water supplies are increasing, and terrestrial and marine ecosystems are at risk. That is why today all countries are interested in implementing projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, developing and implementing effective technological and natural solutions to absorb greenhouse gases. Climate projects for secondary watering of drained peatlands are just such natural solutions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.