Market challenges
Sustainability accounting and measurement have been recognized as drivers for change in the peat industry for a number of years. Environmental management of peatland resources has been at the center of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association’s restoration research since 1992. The Industrial Research Chair for peatland management through Laval University’s Peatland Ecology Research Group has formed the foundation for much of the association members’ current restoration management practices and the Preservation and Reclamation Policy of the industry.
Environmental impact
Currently Environmental Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of peat and peat products has provided insight into key hot issues related to environmental impact of the peat industry. Investigations are ongoing on these issues to determine ways of reducing the association members’ impacts.
Transportation
A key area of concern is transportation. Studies are underway that will reduce the emissions impact resulting from the transporting of peat and peat products. Innovative means to maintain the volumes to be shipped but reduce the emission may result in changes in the delivery to users.
Sustainability accounting
This year the peat industry is also conducting Socio/Economic LCA research. The intent is to ensure that the industry and companies understand the social and economic implications related to their sustainable management.
As the results of LCA research are completed and future studies are conducted, it is anticipated that the peat industry and individual companies will provide corporate sustainability reports on their accounts for environmental, social and economic implications. Over time the improvements in these accounts will be traceable and the evidence of improvement in the overall sustainable management of the companies and industry will be more transparent.
It is expected that greenhouse operators will eventually be held accountable for their claims of sustainability. Armed with the documented accounts from the horticultural peat industry, individual growers will be better positioned to verify the commitment to sustainable management by their principle substrate suppliers.
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