In order to achieve Germany’s climate targets, degraded peatlands used for agriculture need to be rewetted. However, the restoration of peatlands in Germany is currently making slow progress. This is why NABU, together with its cooperation partner REWE, established the NABU Climate Fund in 2022. With investments of at least 25 million euros, nature-based climate protection projects are being promoted.
NABU and REWE are now taking stock of their initial success. Since the start of the project, almost 3,200 hectares of moorland have been secured for rewetting. A further 1,100 hectares will be added by the end of the year. By then, around twelve million euros will have been channelled into the renaturation projects. In total, the NABU climate fund comprises seven projects in five European countries.
NABU President Jörg-Andreas Krüger: Peatlands make up only a small part of the earth’s surface, but are indispensable for a healthy climate and our ecological balance. To achieve this, we need to restore them to a good condition. In the NABU Climate Fund, we are leading the way together with our trusted partner REWE and making a concrete contribution to the fight against the climate crisis and the loss of species and ecosystems.
One of these projects is the rewetting of the “Ahlen-Falkenberger Moor” in the district of Cuxhaven with an area of around 200 hectares of degraded, agriculturally utilised raised bog. With an investment of around six million euros, the moor is to be restored to its natural state in the coming years. This will save almost 200,000 tonnes of CO2 in greenhouse gas emissions over the next 25 years.
Dr Daniela Büchel, Member of the Management Board of REWE Group: Global warming and species extinction are the two biggest ecological crises of our time – and they have a direct impact on us all. We see ourselves as having a clear responsibility here and want to make our contribution. That is why it is very important to us to voluntarily support climate protection projects in addition to our massive commitment to reducing emissions. The project in the Ahlen-Falkenberger Moor near Cuxhaven is Europe’s largest renaturalisation project of an agriculturally used raised bog. It is an example of the important work that the NABU Climate Fund is doing to protect the climate and restore natural habitats.
