The Sustainability Concept for Peat covers the Group’s production principles for sustainable peat in Finland, Sweden and Estonia. The sustainability of peat production is based on national and EU regulations and the Neova Group’s management system.
Peat is a unique organic raw material that is particularly formed in the Northern Hemisphere. It is classified as a slowly renewable raw material (IPCC and the European Commission).
The current primary uses of peat are horticultural peat, energy peat and animal bedding peat. Each year, growing media produced by the Neova Group is used to grow one plant for each member of the Earth’s population, or more than eight billion plants in total.
Peat has diverse uses in areas such as promoting local food production and healthy living environments. Activated carbon and other high value-added products refined from peat based biomass and other organic natural materials can be used to purify water and air as well as promote sustainable local food production.
Sustainability principles for peat production
At all of our production sites, the water treatment solutions are in line with the best available techniques (BAT).
In addition to monitoring by the authorities, we carriy out an inspection of the water treatment structures at all production areas at least once a month during the production season.
On our website, we publish information on the persons responsible for peat production as well as reports on emissions and the monitoring of watercourses prepared for the authorities by independent consulting agencies.
We produce peat only in production areas where the natural state has been altered, generally meaning ditched peatlands. vapo does not apply for environmental permits for category 4 and 5 mires in line with the strategy for the sustainable and responsible use of mires and peatlands.
We will continue to actively exchange mires with significant nature value owned by the company to ditched peatlands or to sell such mires for use for conservation purposes.
Areas owned by us and released from peat production will be in their next use within two (2) years of the end of production operations.