Communications Strategy 2016 – 2018

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Contents

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE ................................................................................................ 3

CONTEXT ............................................................................................................................. 3

OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................... 4

Objective 1: To identify and promote mechanisms to provide long-term funding for peatland restoration and on-going management ................................................................ 4

Objective 2: Inform policy and legislation at international, EU, UK and devolved country level that ensures effective conservation and restoration of peatlands .............................. 4

Objective 3: Provide focus and direction towards clear peatland goals and encourage information sharing/consensus building on benefits of long-term secure peatlands ........... 5

STAKEHOLDERS ................................................................................................................. 6

Carbon and climate change ............................................................................................... 6

Land use ........................................................................................................................... 6

Wildlife and landscape value ............................................................................................. 6

Practical implementation ................................................................................................... 7

KEY COMMUNICATION MESSAGES .................................................................................. 8

Message 1: Peatlands provide multiple ecosystem services including climate regulation, water quality control and a bio-diverse habitat; their importance is such that damaging practices need to be prevented and their conservation and restoration prioritised ............. 8

Message 2: Peatland restoration prevents the loss of CO2 into the atmosphere, reverting damaged peatlands from carbon sources to neutral in a short space of time, and eventually into carbon sinks ............................................................................................... 8

Message 3: Peatland restoration in the UK is both tried and tested, with many successful case studies that can act as exemplars both nationally and internationally ........................ 8

Message 4: Peatlands are the largest remaining semi-natural habitat in the UK, home to internationally important species and steeped in cultural heritage ..................................... 9

KEY COMMUNICATION METHODS .................................................................................. 11

Traditional media ............................................................................................................. 11

Online engagement ......................................................................................................... 11

Face-to-face .................................................................................................................... 12

Conferences and events .................................................................................................. 12

Publications ..................................................................................................................... 13

EVALUATION AND MONITORING ..................................................................................... 14

Annexe 1: Stakeholders ...................................................................................................... 15

Governmental bodies and policy makers ......................................................................... 15

Land managers and landowners...................................................................................... 15

Publicly-owned land ..................................................................................................... 15

Charity ownership ........................................................................................................ 16

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Community ownership.................................................................................................. 16

Private ownership ........................................................................................................ 16

Crown Estate ownership .............................................................................................. 17

Water companies and customers .................................................................................... 17

Renewable energy firms .................................................................................................. 17

Businesses ...................................................................................................................... 17

Environmental NGOs ....................................................................................................... 18

Practitioners including consultancies ............................................................................... 18

Scientists and academics ................................................................................................ 18

Recreational users........................................................................................................... 18

Local community ............................................................................................................. 18

Annexe 1a: Stakeholder Matrix ........................................................................................... 19

Annexe 1b: Examples of mediums that might be utilised to reach stakeholders .................. 20

Annexe 2: Feedback from Partner Organisations ................................................................ 21

Exmoor Mires Partnership ............................................................................................... 21

Moors for the Future ........................................................................................................ 21

Scottish Natural Heritage: Peatland ACTION................................................................... 22

Annexe 3: Internal and External Environment ..................................................................... 23

PEST Analysis ................................................................................................................. 23

SWOT Analysis ............................................................................................................... 24

SOURCES .......................................................................................................................... 25

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STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

This communications strategy will be used to effectively target all IUCN UK Peatland Programme’s (IUCN UK PP) stakeholders in order to achieve the programme’s overarching objective of promoting peatland restoration in the UK. The strategy will enable the programme to document and showcase successful peatland projects and raise awareness of the associated benefits, including those related to climate change.

By doing these things the communications strategy will support the IUCN UK PP in meeting its target of reaching one million hectares of UK peatlands in good or recovering condition by 2020.

CONTEXT

Healthy peatlands naturally store carbon.

In the UK, peatlands store three billion tonnes of carbon – 20 times more than all UK woodlands – yet, over 80% of them are in a degraded statei. Rather than storing carbon, these damaged peatlands release 10 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, contributing to climate change. A further loss of just 5% of UK peatlands would release the same amount of CO2 into the atmosphere as all the nation’s anthropogenic emissions in a year.

Historically, peatlands have been degraded as a result of land management decisions and subsidies, often related to agriculture and forestry. By restoring them using tried and tested methods, we can stem the loss of carbon into the atmosphere and over time create a carbon sink. Once restored peatlands can aid climate regulation and provide a biodiverse habitat.

The IUCN UK PP exists to promote peatland restoration in the UK and advocates the multiple benefits of peatlands to society through partnership working and strong science, as well as supporting sound policy and effective practice.

The IUCN UK PP key objectives are to:

• Identify and promote mechanisms to provide long-term funding for peatland restoration and on-going management

• Inform policy and legislation at international, EU, UK and devolved country level that ensures effective conservation and restoration of peatlands

• Provide focus and direction towards clear peatland goals and encourage information sharing/consensus building on the benefits of long term secure peatlands.

For a review of the external and internal environment that the IUCN UK PP is operating in please see the SWOT and PEST analysis in Annexe 3.

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OBJECTIVES Objective 1: To identify and promote mechanisms to provide long-term funding for peatland restoration and on-going management Operational objective Communications objective Develop, promote and manage the Peatland Code

Provide printed and digital resources to enable understanding and engagement with the Peatland Code Ensure practitioners have access to good practice guidance on peatland restoration techniques Enable practitioners to register projects under the Peatland Code Share Peatland Code related stories with the media Promote the Peatland Code to business audiences

Contribute to the preparation of an EU funding proposal for peatlands

Develop a communications strategy Gather feedback from partner organisations to ensure the IUCN UK PP are providing the most valuable and useful services possible

Objective 2: Inform policy and legislation at international, EU, UK and devolved country level that ensures effective conservation and restoration of peatlands Operational objective Communications objective Support UK strategic work on peatlands

Regularly disseminate key messages to stakeholders Provide accessible peatland science Share UK peatland restoration case studies with partners Develop a peatland opportunity map

Increase awareness of UK peatland work globally

Showcase UK peatland restoration case studies Contribute to national and international conferences

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Objective 3: Provide focus and direction towards clear peatland goals and encourage information sharing/consensus building on benefits of long-term secure peatlands Operational objective Communications objective Raise awareness about peatlands and the need for restoration/ conservation amongst business, NGOs and land managing communities

Provide the media with case studies and peat stories Maximise social media channels to share peatland stories Provide relevant and up-to-date information via the website

Demonstrate good practice in peatland restoration in the UK and internationally

Ensure practitioners have access to an online manual to good practice peatland restoration techniques Enable practitioners and experts to provide feedback and continual improvement to a good practice restoration guide Showcase successful peatland restoration stories in the media Share successful peatland restoration stories with stakeholders Use the IUCN CEM website to showcase work of the IUCN UK PP

Maintain a web-based resource for access to peatland information

Provide relevant and up-to-date information via the website Provide a comprehensive and useful list of peatland restoration projects, including information about them and contact details

Provide the opportunity for sharing of expertise, consensus building and co-ordination through an annual conference and seminars across the peatland partnership

Organise annual conference Ensure clear themes and messages exist to share at information sharing events Provide or support provision of training and workshops

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STAKEHOLDERS

As a small island with a high human population, any wild or semi-wild habitat in the UK has long interacted with, or been impacted by, people. Peatlands are no exception.

Peatlands are the UK’s largest remaining semi-natural habitat; their relationship with humans date back centuries. As a result the list and diversity of stakeholders is great. Here they are grouped into four loose interest groups, although overlap between the groups can be significant, so a more in-depth analysis of stakeholders is included in Annexe 1 and 1a.

Carbon and climate change Peatlands are a large store of carbon and when damaged release greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating the effects of climate change. Political obligations mean that the UK is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, therefore the impact of peatlands is a necessary consideration for policy makers. Many also recognise the potential impacts of climate change on the economy and industry, as well as health and standard of living, and are therefore keen to find a solution, which peatland restoration can help provide.

Stakeholders: government bodies and policy makers, businesses/industry leaders, scientists, media, land managers

Top line message: Peatland restoration can prevent the release of greenhouse gas emissions, providing an effective and relatively low cost solution to climate change

Land use Several businesses exploit peat and peatlands to generate income or support a way of life. Sheep farming, grouse shoots, whisky production and peat cutting for horticultural use are all examples of this. Many of these activities have gone on for centuries, whilst others, for example peat use in horticulture, are more recent. These stakeholders are keen to know how peatland restoration will affect them and their livelihood.

Stakeholders: landowners and managers, pastoral farmers, gamekeepers, water industry, renewable energy firms, whisky producers, peat extraction industry

Top line message: Healthy peatlands can provide many tangible benefits including carbon, clean water and biodiversity, whereas damaged peatlands are costly and unproductive in the long term

Wildlife and landscape value Peatlands are home to rare and endangered wildlife, and beautiful landscapes in themselves when in good condition. This provides peatlands with an intrinsic value to many, who would wish to see further destruction prevented and more habitat return to good condition.

Stakeholders: environmental NGOs, recreational users, businesses, scientists, media

Top line message: Help prevent further destruction by respecting the habitat when visiting it and not buying peat-based products; share your passion and encourage others to look at peatlands differently

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Practical implementation There are many people employed in peatland restoration who carry out research, survey, monitoring and practical restoration work on the ground. To keep ahead of the latest developments, it is important that these groups share their experiences and findings.

Stakeholders: practitioners, consultants, contractors, scientists, steering group, staff of partner organisations

Top line message: The UK is a leading nation in peatland restoration and by working together this reputation can be maintained and built upon, working towards the IUCN UK PP goal of one million hectares in good condition by 2020.

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KEY COMMUNICATION MESSAGES Four headline communication messages have been identified for the programme. Below these, each message has been broken down further for use with specific stakeholder audiences. Message 1: Peatlands provide multiple ecosystem services including climate regulation, water quality control and a bio-diverse habitat; their importance is such that damaging practices need to be prevented and their conservation and restoration prioritised

• Peatlands provide a wildlife-rich habitat in which rare species thrive Audience: environmental NGOs, businesses; land managers and owners

• Healthy functioning peatlands filter water and do not cause colouration, reducing the need for expensive treatment facilities for drinking water at the end of the pipe, reducing the bills of water customers Audience: water companies, general public, land managers and owners, environmental NGOs

• UK peatlands store 3.2 billion tonnes of carbon, creating a long-term ‘cooling effect if in a

healthy conditioni Audience: government bodies and policy makers, businesses

Deliver: Objective 2 & 3

Message 2: Peatland restoration prevents the loss of CO2 into the atmosphere, reverting damaged peatlands from carbon sources to neutral in a short space of time, and eventually into carbon sinks

• Damaged peatlands release 10 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere in the UK every year, exacerbating the impact of climate change Audience: government bodies and policy makers, businesses, general public

• The amount of CO2 released by damaged peatlands in the UK every year is the

equivalent to the carbon savings made by governmental policies, negating the impact of that saving Audience: government bodies and policy makers, general public

• Restored peatlands stop emitting CO2 almost immediately, creating a huge carbon saving Audience: government bodies and policy makers, general public

Deliver: Objective 2 & 3

Message 3: Peatland restoration in the UK is both tried and tested, with many successful case studies that can act as exemplars both nationally and internationally

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• The UK has many examples of successful peatland restoration, which can be shared more widely; the IUCN UK Peatland Programme publication UK Peatland Restoration Demonstrating Success, shares some of these Audience: practitioners, consultants, contractors, government bodies and policy makers

• Sharing good practice among the peatland community will ensure peatlands are restored in the most cost-efficient and effective way Audience: practitioners, consultants, contractors, environmental NGOs, land managers

• Sharing good practice will drive the development of new peatland restoration techniques Audience: practitioners, consultants, contractors, environmental NGOs, land managers

• New, innovative Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) are being developed to help meet the cost of peatland restoration, including the Peatland Code Audience: businesses, government bodies and policy makers, land managers, environmental NGOs

• Peatland restoration can be cost-effective and be compatible with agricultural and other economic activities

Audience: businesses, government bodies and policy makers, land managers, environmental NGOs

Deliver: Objective 1 & 3

Message 4: Peatlands are the largest remaining semi-natural habitat in the UK, home to internationally important species and steeped in cultural heritage

• Peatlands are home to nationally and internationally important biodiversity, with many species showing marked decline in population numbers Audience: environmental NGOs, government bodies and policy makers, media, general public, scientists

• The UK’s peatlands are largely damaged, with less than 20% believed to be in natural or near natural state Audience: environmental NGOs, landowners and managers, government bodies and policy makers, media

• Less than 50% of peatland sites covered by protected area designations (SSSIs, SACs and SPAs) are in favourable condition Audience: environmental NGOs, landowners and managers, government bodies and policy makers, media

• The waterlogged conditions of peatlands preserve cultural and environmental records in

their waterlogged soils, providing an important archive of past changes Audience: scientists, recreational users, archaeologists, government bodies and policy makers

• Historical connections between peatlands and people should be recognised, in the past used for fuel extraction, food gathering, hunting, common grazing and for building materials

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Audience: local communities, recreational users, archaeologists, government bodies and policy makers, tourists

• The UK is obligated to maintain and restore peatlands under various global agreements

including the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Audience: government bodies and policy makers, environmental NGOs, media

Deliver: Objective 2 & 3

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KEY COMMUNICATION METHODS Based on experiences and feedback from partner organisations a number of approaches have been suggested to communicate the messages above, which are included below. As the range of stakeholders is so diverse, not all methods will be appropriate for all audiences, therefore it is important to use a combination of the different channels.

Traditional media Traditional media remains an effective medium to deliver messages to a wide audience, yet also has the ability to be fairly targeted. Generally well established, these channels have carefully cultivated their audiences and deliver content that meet their needs – this means they are often trusted sources of information, but that individuals are also willing to invest time in them.

Traditional media, including features and editorial in national and local newspapers, glossy magazines, radio and television, provide the opportunity to deliver a fuller story, whereas in comparison, social media tends to be limited to headlines and sound bites (that often link through to traditional media sources for the full story).ii

An increase in the use of smartphones and tablets has also increased the amount of news individuals consume, which traditional media outlets are capitalising on with the development of apps and mobile-friendly websitesiii.

By targeting specific traditional media sources, the IUCN UK PP could better deliver on all objectives, by reaching decision makers who lead on policy, businesses willing to invest and the general public, who help to form discussion on policy issues.

Successful take-up by these channels can require significant investment in time and resources, so should be carefully planned out to ensure delivery of key messages. However, when opportunities are presented they should be acted on.

Online engagement Online media incorporates many channels including organisational, partner and news websites, email communications, apps on mobile devices and social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The growth trajectory of online channels has been one of a continual rise, with four in five houses now connected to broadband. In 2015, the smartphone overtook the laptop as the device internet users say is most important for connecting to the internet. This is an important shift as smartphone users spend on average twice as long on the internet as those using a PC or laptopiv. By the nature of its growth, it is essential that the IUCN UK PP takes advantage of these channels to reach their audiences and engage with them on a regular basis. A particular benefit of the majority of these channels (certainly social media) is that they are free to use, and so the only cost associated is time.

A mix of online channels should be utilised by the IUCN UK PP to reach different audiences. The social media channel Twitter can be a useful tool to open dialogue with policy makersv, build collaboration between the scientific communityvi and with practitioners, helping to meet objective 2 and 3 in particular. Also useful in the delivery of objective 3 is the already well-established e-newsletter issued monthly by IUCN UK PP, which provides a platform to share information within the partnership, but also with interested parties signed up to the mailing list. The IUCN UK PP’s website also goes partway to support the delivery of objective 3, but is currently under-used and so should be reviewed and the content re-packaged in a more

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user-friendly way that clearly directs users to the key communication messages. YouTube and other video channels like Vimeo and Vine, could also be better utilised to help deliver on all three objectives, sharing existing video content and potentially creating new content where there are gaps.

Several partners have expressed successful interaction with audiences using social media channels including Facebook and Twitter, which further supports its use in sharing the messages of the IUCN UK PP. In particular, partners have found this method of communication works best to connect with recreational users, scientists and peatland practitioners. Partners including Exmoor Mires Partnership, Moors for the Future and Yorkshire Peat Partnership are favouring Facebook to reach their audiences, therefore IUCN UK PP should consider adopting this channel to enable easy sharing of partner content.

Moors for the Future has also explored the use of apps to engage a wider audience in the identification of peatland species, in line with the increase in popularity of citizen sciencevii. The IUCN UK PP should help to promote apps developed by partners to advance understanding and knowledge of peatlands, but unless a particular communications need is identified by the Programme that would best be met by an app, the costs involved and potential limited take-up mean there is currently no demand to adopt this method of communication.

Finally, the IUCN UK PP is working to provide a mapping facility on its website that will provide searchable information on UK restoration projects. This functionality should help partner organisations to share learning of projects – techniques developed and lessons learned. It will also help to facilitate networking, by providing contact details for project leaders.

Face-to-face To be truly effective on a local level several of the stakeholders that IUCN UK PP need to engage with can be broken into small groups, which means that face-to-face meetings are not only achievable, but highly desirable.

Several of the stakeholders respond better to the key messages the IUCN UK PP are trying to promote when they are either demonstrated or shared by peers. Based on the experience of partners including Moors for the Future, this method of communication is particular relevant to landowners and managers. Site visits and demonstration events open up dialogue, enabling information sharing and helping to build consensus on issues, and therefore moving towards achieving objective 3.

When combined with talks or presentations to a small number of people, it can also be an effective way of engaging the business audience with the complicated messages related to peatland restoration and the need for urgent funding, helping to achieve objective 1.

Conferences and events Key to the success of the IUCN UK PP is the bringing together of wide ranging partners, so it is essential that they are kept up to speed with developments and also have the chance to network with one another to aid delivery of objective 3. This is achieved through the continuation of the IUCN UK PP programme of annual conferences, the primary aim of which is to encourage knowledge sharing. Attracting a large audience, the conference programme also enables dialogue between practitioners, policy makers, the scientific community and environmental NGOs.

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In addition side training events hosted by IUCN UK PP and its partners, such as Cumbria BogLIFE and Meres and Mosses, help to keep this community together and develop best practice, in line with objectives 2 & 3.

Publications Publications including information leaflets, briefing notes and reports play an important role in informing stakeholders on a whole range of issues. Time consuming and costly to produce it is essential that each publication produced by the IUCN UK PP has a clear purpose.

In the past briefing notes for example, have been produced to close knowledge gaps in scientific understanding. These notes provide an easily digestible format for policy makers to pick up and better improve their own understanding on a specific peatland issue, so that they can be better informed to make decisions on funding or policy. These notes have proved effective and should continue to be deployed, with those existing promoted to the different stakeholder groups where helpful. Further briefing notes should be commissioned where a clear gap in information. It is important that any new commissions are based on scientific findings, so that they can be relied upon, and that they are concise and written in clear prose to allow anyone reading them to take away the key facts no matter their prior level of understanding.

Leaflets can play a role in informing audiences with little prior knowledge of peatlands, for example the general public or business leaders. They can be deployed to increase awareness, attitudes and attract funding. Any leaflets produced by the IUCN UK PP should complement those produced by partner organisations and not seek to replicate. There is also a role for leaflets in informing more knowledgeable audiences about case studies, funding streams or advanced learning. These should be produced as and when there is a specific requirement and outlet to share them.

The IUCN UK PP has had a history of producing in depth reports, for example the Commission of Inquiry or Demonstrating Success documents. These have played an important role in advocacy of peatlands and restoration work to date in both the UK and globally. These reports contain important information that had not previously been collated, and should continue to be shared whilst the information contained in them remains relevant. Updates or additional reports should be sought when new learning deems it necessary.

In the future the IUCN UK PP might want to look at producing a quarterly magazine or in-depth newsletter to keep partners informed of each other’s activities and develop further knowledge. This could work as an extension to the monthly e-newsletter, but could encourage increased engagement and allow partner’s to share more of their work.

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EVALUATION AND MONITORING To enable the IUCN UK PP to assess its success in facilitating understanding of, and funding for, peatland restoration, it is important that the Programme’s communication work is monitored and effectiveness of the channels it deploys evaluated.

Opportunities exist to use expensive monitoring tools e.g. Meltwater, that track media mentions, both in traditional media and online, and measure its reach and tone in which it is received i.e. positive/negative/neutral. These tools are effective and provide in-depth analytics and reports, allowing for detailed evaluation.

However, with limited resources, a simple media record can be maintained using Google Alerts, which sends notifications of media exposure related to key words e.g. peatlands. This media record can be related back to effort exerted, for example number of sources a press release appears in. Whilst this is rather a crude method, and does not always pick up all coverage, it does give an indication as to whether the Programme’s key messages are being picked up by mainstream media outlets. Not all articles come from a press release however, so where a feature is targeted at a particular publication, the appropriateness of this publication should be considered.

Many social media channels now provide in-built analytics, which enables fairly in-depth evaluation of the success of key messages. These analytics can be used to see what content performs best, the audience that is being reached and therefore help identify any patterns. A similar analytics service is also available via MailChimp, the current software used to send the IUCN UK PP newsletters and via Google Analytics for the IUCN UK PP website. The latter is particularly important in the evaluation of content on the website and should be used to inform any re-packaging of the key messages on this channel.

The analytics gathered from the above sources should be reported on a quarterly basis to the IUCN UK PP steering group, so that they are able to identify any channels that should be prioritised or invested further in, whilst maintaining the important mix of channels.

The IUCN UK PP will also carry out an annual survey of its partners and interested parties to gain feedback on the information they are receiving, to assess whether they feel content and channels used are appropriate. This will allow the Programme to develop the communication methods discussed above to ensure they work in the most effective way possible.

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Annexe 1: Stakeholders

The IUCN UK PP has several stakeholders, spanning a number of disciplines and interests. As an umbrella organisation, key stakeholders include partners of the programme. Leading organisations who oversee the work of the programme include John Muir Trust, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, North Pennines AONB Partnership, Moors for the Future and the University of East London. The primary goal of this group is to see peatland ecosystems return to a healthy, functioning state.

There is also a wider partnership outside those mentioned above, encompassing a broad set of interests. These are represented in the stakeholder review below.

Governmental bodies and policy makers UK governmental bodies are a key stakeholder and have provided public funding to support peatland restoration over the last decade recognising the role it plays in climate regulation. Examples of this investment include the Scottish Government’s Peatland ACTION programme, which has received £8 million in dedicated funds since 2012 to support the aims of the National Peatland Planviii. The Welsh Assembly also has ambitious plans to bring all their peatlands into restoration managementix.

This group of stakeholders include Government ministers and civil servants who work across a number of departments including Defra, Scottish Natural Heritage, Natural Resources Wales and Natural England.

The IUCN UK PP must provide counsel on sound policy that encourages the restoration of peatlands and advises against damaging activities, as well as encourage the allocation of public funds to support restoration activity. The IUCN UK PP can also direct scientific research to support policy decisions.

Land managers and landowners Land managers and landowners are another group of important stakeholders, yet this group does not neatly fit into one category. Land ownership in the UK is complex and may be classed into any of the following groups, or indeed a mix:

• Public land • NGO / charity ownership • Community ownership • Private ownership e.g. sporting estate, agricultural, crofting etc • Crown Estate ownership

Contrasting management plans can exist for each of these groups, dependent on their main drivers and whether they be economic, social or environmental. As a result their perspective on peatland restoration and desired outcomes can vary significantly. Whilst this does not mean they will necessarily be for or against peatland restoration, it does mean the key messages associated with our work and methods of delivering these messages need to be adapted to the audience, recognising any constraints.

Publicly-owned land As custodian of 900,000 ha of land, the Forestry Commission, a government organisation, is Britain’s largest land managerx. Additional areas of publicly-owned land also exist outside of the Forestry Commission remit. A significant proportion of them are designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

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The designations bestow a legal responsibility to conserve these areas and protect them from development where detrimental to the environment. Sustainability is a key area for the Government in terms of land management, so it is important that the IUCN UK PP work with the various environmental bodies to ensure they understand where peatland restoration is required on their land holdings and that they follow best practice restoration guidance.

Charity ownership Whilst this group in itself can be diverse, our main audience are the environmental NGOs such as RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, National Trust and John Muir Trust who collectively own great swathes of the British countryside. One of the largest, National Trust, holds over 250,100 ha of land alonexi. Although smaller, some of the other national organisations also own a huge amount of land, with charities such as The Wildlife Trusts managing over 100,000 ha across the individual Trustsxii.

All these organisations have historically owned land to protect it from damaging practices, safeguarding either its cultural or natural heritage for future generations. However, as understanding of ecosystems and environmental management has developed, they have not always been successful.

As landowners and managers, it is important to engage with environmental NGOs to ensure any damaged peatlands on their own land holdings are restored using best practice methods, so that they can provide an exemplar and be used as case studies in the future.

Community ownership There is a growing trend for community land ownership, which has been encouraged by Government in recent years. This is particularly relevant in Scotland, where the Scottish Government has recently announced a strategy for one million acres of community-owned land by 2020.

In these areas the local community is more likely to be empowered to improve and develop their economy, infrastructure and environment, leading to an increase in well-being.

The Scottish Highlands are of particular interest, as community land buyouts have been more extensive here and there is also a high density of peatland.

The IUCN UK PP needs to engage with this group to increase awareness of peatlands as an important habitat for climate regulation, water quality and wildlife habitat. These communities may also be interested in the nature tourism potential peatlands can provide.

Example: The Assynt Foundation: “aim to safeguard land for protection and sustainable development of Scotland’s natural development”xiii.

Private ownership Land in private ownership can be managed in many different ways, from large agricultural land holdings and small crofts to sporting estates for deer or grouse. In the past, confusing land management advice and ill-advised subsidies has led to large-scale damage of peatlands on some of this privately-owned land.

In particular, drainage for agriculture has led to widespread damage and there is also ongoing concern regarding burning to manage peatlands for grouse. The IUCN UK PP needs to provide advice based on sound science concerning any practices regarded as damaging, to try encourage the end of these activities. Also, the benefits of restoration and good peatland management, plus the funding options available to undertake this need to be made clear. Many of these estates require an economic return on investment, or at least to break even, so any advice must take this into account.

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Again, with a good coverage of peatlands and also a high level of private ownership, Scotland (half the country held by just 432 owners) provides a focus for this workxiv.

Crown Estate ownership The Crown Estate manages land owned by the Sovereign in the right of the Crown. This ownership extends to 138,000 haxv in total, although some of this land is not directly managed by the Crown Estate, who instead let it to tenants and third sector organisations. Profit derived from these land holdings go into the Treasury to benefit the nation.

The Crown Estate has a commitment to good stewardship and as part of that look to pursue good environmental practice.

As with several of the stakeholders above, the IUCN UK PP must highlight the importance of healthy peatlands as functioning ecosystems and advocate best practice restoration methods where required.

Water companies and customers Increasingly water companies are interested in peatland restoration, recognising the impact degraded peatlands have on water colour. The ‘brown’ found in water from damaged peatland catchments is expensive to remove at the end of the pipe, resulting in high treatment costs to the company and their customers.

To avoid building expensive treatment plants, some water companies have looked to treat the problem at source by restoring peatlands.

Increasing awareness of peatland restoration guidance and facilitating work through partner organisations can be of use to these companies.

Renewable energy firms In recent years the number of applications to develop on peatlands has increased, particularly in the form of wind farms in Scotland, in a bid to meet renewable energy targets. Due to the importance of peat, guidelinesxvi are in place related to surveys required prior to application and good practice to follow when developing on peatland.

With recent changes in planning policy in England, the number of applications from renewable energy firms is likely to drop. Nevertheless, with existing applications and projects in situ, it is important that the IUCN UK PP ensures best practice guidance is followed and advice is made available.

Businesses Private businesses may engage with peatland messages on several different platforms, depending on their level of engagement with associated issues around sustainability and climate change.

On one level there are businesses that are engaged with climate change and recognise how in the long term it will impact on their operation and therefore wish to invest in mechanisms to tackle this. Messages regarding the carbon benefits of peatland restoration and mechanisms based on natural capital, including the Peatland Code, are likely to be most appropriate for this audience.

There are also businesses that have built up a brand association with peatlands, such as the whisky industry. For this audience it would be useful to build up a dialogue about peatlands – their beauty, the wildlife associated with the landscape and also the great damage they have undergone. This could lead to investment in restoration, with associated positive PR for the business.

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In addition, several businesses function as ‘green’ leaders and have a desire to be sustainable. They may wish to simply invest in a healthier environment as part of a corporate social responsibility programme, for which the Peatland Code could provide a suitable avenue. Supermarkets could potentially fit into this market and help support good land management by the farmers they buy produce from.

Environmental NGOs As mentioned earlier in the section regarding charity land ownership it is important that environmental NGO land holdings act as an exemplar for peatland restoration work, so that they can be used at case studies.

In addition the IUCN UK PP needs to work with this group of stakeholders to encourage them to play an active advocacy role with both decision-makers and the general public, showcasing peatlands as a beautiful landscape with many ecosystem services.

Practitioners including consultancies Practitioners including groups such as Moors for the Future, Yorkshire Peat Partnership and Exmoor Mires Partnership are at the coal-face of peatland restoration and therefore it is essential that the work they are undertaking complies with good practice guidance. The IUCN UK PP can share this guidance between practitioners, as well provide a forum that enables these groups to share learning and inform advancements in understanding of peatland ecology. It is therefore essential an open dialogue is maintained with this group of stakeholders who are practicing, as well as informing, what the IUCN UK PP preaches.

Scientists and academics The scientific community represent an important group of stakeholders, with specialists in the field of peatlands, environmental science and climate change of particular interest, as well as those interested in the practical application of science. This stakeholder group incorporates PhD students, up to professors and professional scientists and advisors.

The relationship between IUCN UK PP and this group should be two-way, with the scientific community providing advice to inform the programme’s messages based on research, and IUCN UK PP directing research efforts into useful science that can support on the ground action, whether it be via policy changes or advice to practitioners. As with the practitioners the IUCN UK PP can also provide a forum via which learning can be shared with the various interested parties.

Recreational users National Parks, nature reserves and other protected land popular for recreation include peatland in many cases. Many of these recreational users may not have a deep understanding of peat and the benefits it offers to society.

The IUCN UK PP should provide information about peatlands and advice on how best to enjoy areas covered in peat, to limit damage to both the habitat and any harm to the individual. This engagement may be direct, or by providing consistent messages and materials for its partners to share e.g. The Wildlife Trusts, the National Parks.

Local community Local communities living in and around peatlands often have deep, long-standing associations with the landscape. It is important that any cultural or historical connections are understood and, in some cases, celebrated. Similar to the stakeholder group, recreational users, it is important that this audience understands how to responsibly use and care for the land in which they live to prevent deterioration, which could have detrimental effects on the local economy and flood management.

pg. 19

The role of the IUCN UK PP is to provide advice and clear messages about peatlands, whilst its partners should help to disseminate them.

Annexe 1a: Stakeholder Matrix

Audience Case studies

Policy/ research

Peatland briefings

Restoration guidance

Peatland Code Events Success

stories Global stories

NGOs X X X X X X X X Private

landowners X X X

Land managers X X X X Government

ministers X X X X

Civil servants X X X X

Practitioners X X X X X X X

Media X X X X

Staff X X X X X

Steering group X X X X X Peatland Code

Executive X X Government

en’vnt agencies X X X

Businesses X X X Academic institutions X X

Scientists X X X X Water

companies X X X X X Renewable energy firms X X X X X Recreational

users X X

pg. 20

Annexe 1b: Examples of mediums that might be utilised to reach stakeholders

English/ UK Ministers:

• Radio 4 Today programme • The Times • The Telegraph • The Guardian • Financial Times • Twitter • National news e.g. BBC / ITV • Briefs from civil servants • Ministerial visits • MP surgeries • Local site visits.

Scottish Ministers:

• R4 Today programme • Radio Scotland (news) • The Scotsman • Twitter • Briefs from civil servants • Ministerial visits • MSP surgeries • Local site visits • National news e.g. BBC / STV.

Land managers:

• The Telegraph • Daily Mail • Local press e.g. Yorkshire Post, The Herald • Local radio e.g. BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio York • Workshops • Face-to-face meetings • Umbrella body publications e.g. Conservation Land Management, Shooting Times.

*Please note this is to be developed as resulting Communication Plans identify target audiences.

pg. 21

Annexe 2: Feedback from Partner Organisations

Exmoor Mires Partnership

Key messages to be communicated:

• Peatland ecosystems – from basic understanding of how they are established and function; variety; distribution

• Range of benefits they provide – water, carbon, biodiversity, archaeology, landscape, economic, social

• Why there is a need to restore/protect them • Historical and cultural relationship between peatlands and humans – importance as

areas of fuel extraction, food gathering, hunting, common grazing, building materials • What restoration looks like • Reality of restoration for land users i.e. impact on grazing, grouse moors, access etc. • Science behind restoration at a level appropriate to the audience.

Key audiences:

• Landowners, farmers, local community groups, South West Water staff and customers, government bodies, politicians.

Effective communication channels:

• Farmers – site visits to demonstrate on the ground works; discuss what is entails and economic value

• General audience – case studies co-written with universities; social media; talks.

Ineffective communication channels:

• Presentations/talks to land managers – degenerates to confrontational debates • Scientific evidence communicated at the wrong level.

Helpful resources that the IUCN UK PP could provide:

• Central based forum that showcases case studies/best practice/key facts/latest research findings.

Moors for the Future

Key messages to communicate:

• The moors are valuable • Responsible use and care of the landscape necessary.

Key audiences:

pg. 22

• General public (local communities, recreational moorland users), technical (scientists, practitioners), partners and funders, land managers.

Effective communication channels:

• Local communities – volunteer engagement work, media coverage in local outlets, apps

• Moorland users, scientists and practitioners – Twitter • Land managers – face-to-face

Ineffective communication channels:

• No – lack of time to dedicate to communications is biggest barrier

Helpful resources that the IUCN UK PP could provide:

• Regular update • Use of Moors for the Future reports as IUCN UK PP briefings.

Scottish Natural Heritage: Peatland ACTION

Key messages to communicate:

• Successful peatland restoration stories • Clearer understanding of peatland restoration – what is entails, the benefits, funding

opportunities, compatibility with agricultural activities, cost-effectiveness • Guidance resources available to use e.g. videos, advice • Links between climate change and peatland management • National Peatland Plan • Benefits/ecosystem services of healthy and restored peatlands

Key audiences:

• Land managers, contractors, general public, media, government ministers, renewable energy companies, local authorities, environmental NGOs, SNH staff, environmental consultants, Scottish Water, whisky industry, research community.

Effective communication channels:

• Website • Specialist magazines • Videos • Conferences • Social media • Newsletters.

pg. 23

Annexe 3: Internal and External Environment

PEST Analysis

POLITICAL • Short-termism of political system • Supportive attitude in Scottish

Government and Welsh Assembly • Dedicated public spending in Scotland

up to March 2016 – Peatland ACTION; future uncertain

• Introduction of Sustainable Management Plan in Wales, to include grants for peatland work

• Defra to apply for EU LIFE integrated bid on peatlands

• Austerity cuts by British gov’n including Defra and Natural England

• Climate change agreement signed in Paris 2015 – to keep warming under 2°C

ECONOMIC • Growing support for natural capital

accounting • Austerity cuts affecting government’s

environment bodies • Price of carbon at a low • Several large-scale LIFE+ peatland

restoration projects in progress

SOCIAL • Public support for climate change

agenda growing • Lack of understanding of societal

benefits of peatlands • Concern that peatland restoration will

negatively impact sporting and agricultural landscapes

• Recognition of climate change issue by many businesses, banks, insurers and investors

• Palm oil and paper industry experiencing bad press as regards Indonesia peatland fires

• WWF-UK running decline in biodiversity TV campaign – increasing understanding on the issue

• Strong environmental NGO movement in the UK, supported by a large membership

TECHNOLOGICAL • Improved monitoring and surveying

techniques e.g. UAV • Advances in peat free alternatives for

horticultural industry • Increase in low-cost communications

tools • Crowd-source funding emerging as a

fundraising tool

pg. 24

SWOT Analysis

STRENGTHS • Access to experts in field • Strong partnership comprised NGOs,

land managing community and scientific experts

• Respected brand • Large resource base via partner

organisations

WEAKENESSES • Inconsistent funding sources • Lack of agreed restoration techniques • Small dedicated staff resource • Funding can silo work • Lots of partners – potential conflicting

opinions • Gaps in scientific knowledge e.g. effect

of burning OPPORTUNITIES • Natural capital accounting via Peatland

Code • LIFE IP bid to bring unity and shared

resources to UK peatland work • Changes to CAP • Joint working with Woodland Carbon

Code • IUCN Congress 2016 • Changes in Government

THREATS • Public disinterest in peatlands • Decline in public funding • Changes to CAP • Changes in Government • NGO negativity surrounding carbon

offsetting • Competition for funding between

partners

pg. 25

SOURCES

i Commission of Inquiry ii Five reasons why traditional media still matters, Lisa Nobe – 6th January 2014 – PR Week iii Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2015 iv The Communications Market Report 2015 v Revolutionising Political Communication through Social Media pg. 80 vi Darling et al. (2013). The role Twitter in the life cycle of a scientific publication. Ideas in Ecology and Evolution 6: 32-43. Doi: 10.4033/iee.2013.6.6.f vii MoorsAPPS viii Scottish Natural Heritage ix http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/restoring-ancient-peat-bogs-vital-7560572 x http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestry.nsf/byunique/INFD-9CCC78 xi National Trust xii The Wildlife Trusts xiii Assynt Foundation xiv Community Land Scotland xv Crown Estate xvi SNH Windfarm Advice