--- title: "Peatland Code 2.1: Evidence Needed Before Validation | Vireo" description: What the Peatland Code field protocol asks for, how long survey data stays valid, and why 430 registered projects have produced only two verified ones. image: https://www.vireonature.com/hubfs/og2_code.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peatland-code-evidence#main) [**New**Launch price: the first ten sites get the Site Evidence Pack at £3,600. Check whether your site qualifiesLaunch offer: £3,600 a site. 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carbon](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-restoration) Guide[Peat restoration and carbon](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-restoration) # Peatland Code version 2.1: the evidence a project needs before validation What the Peatland Code field protocol asks for, how long survey data stays valid, and why 430 registered projects have produced only two verified ones. By the Vireo teamPublished 10 November 20266 minute readSources checked 10 November 2026 ![Peatland Code 2.1: Evidence Needed Before Validation | Vireo](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_code.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_code.jpg) On this page Share Key points - Since 1 February 2025 every Peatland Code validation and verification is against version 2.1. - Field surveys stay valid for 2 years and peat depth data for 5 years, so the order you collect evidence in matters. - On 14 October 2026 the registry showed 430 registered projects and 2 verified ones. The distance between those numbers is mostly evidence. **The Vireo view:** survey data has a shelf life. Collect it once, on a grid you can run again, and aim it where the reads disagree. Peatland Code evidence is collected in the field to a published protocol, and it decides how many carbon units a restoration project can claim. This guide sets out what that evidence is, how long it lasts, and how to have it ready for validation. Run the numbers for your own bog in the [free peatland carbon calculator](https://www.vireonature.com/calculators/carbon). ## What changed with Peatland Code version 2.1? Version 2.1 was launched on 18 November 2024. In the words of the IUCN UK Peatland Programme: "From the 1st of February 2025, all Project Plan Validations and Verifications shall be against Peatland Code v2.1." Projects with field surveys taken before that date may use the earlier protocols ([IUCN UK Peatland Programme](https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/node/1708)). 18 Nov 2024Version 2.1launched1 Feb 2025All validations andverifications against 2.118 Nov 2025Advisory board sets a5 per cent threshold14 Oct 2026430 registered,2 verified Figure 1. Peatland Code version 2.1 timeline. Sources: IUCN UK Peatland Programme launch note, Technical Advisory Board minutes and project statistics. Three changes matter most to a project developer. - The risk buffer, the share of units held back against loss, rose to 20 per cent. - Validated risk assessments are published on the registry. - Water table monitoring is designed by the project, and the design must be signed off by a qualified expert. ## What evidence does the Peatland Code field protocol ask for? The baseline is built from two things measured on the ground: the condition category of each part of the site, and the peat depth. Together they set the emission factors that decide how many units the project can claim. | Evidence | What the Code says | | --- | --- | | Minimum peat depth | 30 cm, lowered from the earlier threshold in version 2. Fen peat has its own provisions | | Field survey | Valid for 5 years for Project Plan Validation, under the June 2026 clarification effective 30 September 2026 (2 years before that) | | Peat depth data | Valid for 5 years | | Risk buffer | 20 per cent of units | | Areas missed at restoration validation | A 5 per cent materiality threshold based on carbon units, justified with evidence ([Technical Advisory Board, November 2025](https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/External%20Minutes_TAB_1811251.pdf)) | Natural watercourses are generally left out of the mapped area. Features made by people, including gullies, are included. That one line decides a large share of the mapping effort on an eroded site. ## How long does Peatland Code survey evidence stay valid? **2 years**Validity of a field surveyField Protocol version 2.1 **5 years**Validity of peat depth dataField Protocol version 2.1 **30 cm**Minimum peat depthPeatland Code version 2 **20%**Risk buffer held backPeatland Code version 2.1 The two clocks run at different speeds. Depth data outlasts the condition survey, so a project that stalls between survey and validation may need to repeat the walkover but not the probing. A dated record tells you which. **Scoping a restoration project?** See where the 30 cm line is likely to fall before you commission the survey. [See the Site Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack) ## Why are so few Peatland Code projects verified? Registered projects430Verified projects2Number of projects, UK, on 14 October 2026 Figure 2. Peatland Code projects registered and verified. Source: IUCN UK Peatland Programme, Peatland Code project statistics, read 14 October 2026. The registry summary for 14 October 2026 lists 430 registered projects covering 61,142 hectares, with an average project length of 75 years. Two had been verified ([project statistics](https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/peatland-code-project-stats)). Part of that gap is time: verification comes years after restoration. Part is capacity among the bodies that validate and verify. And part is evidence that has to be collected again because it has aged, or because the mapped units do not match what an assessor finds on the ground. ## What does weak and strong baseline evidence look like? Weak - Condition categories drawn from aerial images alone - Peat depth from a handful of probes - Gullies and drains left off the map - Survey dates missing from the record - A monitoring design nobody has signed off Strong - Condition mapped on the ground to the field protocol - Depth probed where the 30 cm line is uncertain - Every drain, gully and hag mapped - Each figure carries its date and source - Water table monitoring signed off by a qualified expert ## How do you have Peatland Code evidence ready? ### Screen the whole site before you survey A desk read of depth and condition shows where the 30 cm line is likely to fall and where the condition categories are uncertain. ### Aim the field survey Put the probes and the condition assessment where the screen is least sure. The field data is what the validator relies on. ### Keep every figure with its source and date With validity periods of 2 and 5 years, a dated record tells you what can be reused and what must be repeated. ### Map the features people made Drains, gullies and hags drive both the condition category and the restoration plan. ### Design the monitoring early The water table design needs an expert signature. Agree it before restoration starts, not after. ## Is your project ready for validation? ### Peatland Code readiness check Tick what is already in place and written down. The whole site screened for depth and condition Peat depth probed, with the data dated Condition categories mapped on the ground to the field protocol A baseline condition survey inside its validity period (5 years from 30 September 2026) Drains, gullies and hags mapped Water table monitoring designed and signed off The 20 per cent risk buffer included in the unit forecast Every figure filed with its source and date ## How Vireo helps Vireo Nature reads land before anyone surveys it. The [Site Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack) returns peat depth with its range, condition signals and surface change on one grid, with a plan for where to probe first. It supports the field survey the Code requires and does not replace it. When your probes are back, a Site Assessment calibrates the read on your own measurements. ### Ask the team about Peatland Code evidence Send your question and the team replies personally within two working days. No sales sequence. Your question First name Work email Send my question We use your details to reply to you. [Privacy notice](https://www.vireonature.com/privacy) ## Frequently asked questions Can satellite or desk evidence be used for the baseline? The Code is built on a field protocol. In the sources we reviewed we found no statement that accepts remote sensing as the primary evidence for a baseline. Desk evidence is useful for aiming the field survey and for checking it. Does the Peatland Code cover Northern Ireland? Yes. It is a UK code. In October 2026 the registry showed 6 projects registered in Northern Ireland and none validated. Is there an equivalent in Ireland? Ireland has no government-run equivalent. The main private scheme is the Peatland Standard for Ireland, launched by Peatland Finance Ireland on 7 March 2025, which issues ecosystem certificates. What is the minimum peat depth? 30 cm under version 2, with separate provisions for fen peat. What is a risk buffer? A share of a project's units held back to cover losses across the scheme. Under version 2.1 it is 20 per cent. ## Quick answers How much is a peatland carbon credit worth? Peatland Code pending issuance units sold for a volume-weighted average of £39.57 in 2025, up from £25.04 in 2024 and £23.95 in 2022. Source: [UK Carbon Price Index, IUCN UK Peatland Programme with Scottish Forestry](https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/uk-carbon-price-index). ## Sources 1. [IUCN UK Peatland Programme: launch of Peatland Code version 2.1 and Field Protocol version 2.1](https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/node/1708) 2. [IUCN UK Peatland Programme: Peatland Code project statistics (read 14 October 2026)](https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/peatland-code-project-stats) 3. [Peatland Code Technical Advisory Board: minutes, 18 November 2025](https://www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/sites/default/files/2026-02/External%20Minutes_TAB_1811251.pdf) ![](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/favicon-32.png?width=52&height=52&name=favicon-32.png) **Written by the Vireo team**Vireo Nature reads land before anyone surveys it. Every figure in our work carries its range, its source and its test. *Working on something like this?***See the Site Evidence Pack** Three details. The team checks coverage and fit, and replies within two working days. [See the Site Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack) *Live example***Inside a site** Tap real peat, river, habitat and ground motion data, read by the Vireo Neural Map. [Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site) *Working on something like this?***See the Site Evidence Pack** Three details. The team checks coverage and fit, and replies within two working days. [See the Site Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack) *Live example***Inside a site** Tap real peat, river, habitat and ground motion data, read by the Vireo Neural Map. [Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site) ## Keep reading ### [![Peatland restoration feasibility: how to scope a site before the survey](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_06.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_06.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 13 minute read Peatland restoration feasibility: how to scope a site before the survey How to scope a peatland restoration site before the feasibility survey: eligibility, likely survey effort and where to probe first. Sourced and dated. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peatland-restoration-feasibility-scoping) ### [![Wildfire risk on peatland: what a fire season means for a restoration project](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_12.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_12.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 13 minute read Wildfire risk on peatland: what a fire season means for a restoration project What a fire season means for a peatland project, its carbon buyers and its insurers: the published figures, the open rules and how to read site risk. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peatland-wildfire-risk) ### [![Peat management plan: what it must contain and what a reviewer checks](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ins_01.jpg?width=1200&height=630&name=ins_01.jpg) Guide10 Nov 2026 · 12 minute read Peat management plan: what it must contain and what a reviewer checks What a peat management plan must contain, the excavation and reuse figures a reviewer tests, and the survey evidence each figure rests on. With sources. Read →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peat-management-plan-contents) ## See what is under your site before you survey it. Send a site or a route and the decision you face. Three details, and a reply from the team within two working days. [Send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk)[Explore the live map](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-site) ## Related guides and services - [Free peatland carbon calculator →](https://www.vireonature.com/calculators/carbon) - [Peatland restoration feasibility scoping →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peatland-restoration-feasibility-scoping) - [Flood risk, SuDS and catchment evidence →](https://www.vireonature.com/solutions/water-and-catchments) - [Peatland wildfire risk guide →](https://www.vireonature.com/insights/peatland-wildfire-risk) ![Vireo Nature](https://www.vireonature.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo_rev_1.png?width=96&height=46&name=logo_rev_1.png) © 2026 Vireo Nature · [Privacy notice](https://www.vireonature.com/privacy) [How it works](https://www.vireonature.com/how-it-works)[Results](https://www.vireonature.com/results)[Data sources](https://www.vireonature.com/data)[Offers and pricing](https://www.vireonature.com/offers)[Report](https://www.vireonature.com/report)[Insights](https://www.vireonature.com/insights)[Site Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/pre-survey-pack)[Corridor Evidence Pack](https://www.vireonature.com/inside-a-corridor) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/146700865)[Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/vireonature.com) Occasional updates on the Neural Map and new sealed results. Work email Sign up I agree to receive occasional updates from Vireo Nature and to Vireo Nature storing my email for this. Unsubscribe any time. Figures as at October 2026. They describe what exists today, not forecasts. Data: Copernicus Sentinel-2 and Copernicus DEM (modified), NASA MODIS MCD64A1, Tellus survey. [Send us your site](https://www.vireonature.com/#talk) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org", "@type" : "Organization", "description" : "Checkable evidence under decisions about nature: land, water, habitat, carbon and biodiversity, with a range on every figure.", "email" : "sales@vireonature.com", "logo" : "https://149697625.fs1.hubspotusercontent-eu1.net/hubfs/149697625/logo_rev_1.png", "name" : "Vireo Nature", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/company/146700865", "https://bsky.app/profile/vireonature.com" ], "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "areaServed" : [ "United Kingdom", "Ireland" ], "description" : "A desk screen (peat depth with its range, ground motion, surface change and water held on a 50 m grid) and a walkable probe plan aimed where the ranges are widest.", "name" : "Site Evidence Pack", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Peat depth screen and probe plan", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "areaServed" : [ "United Kingdom", "Ireland" ], "description" : "A calibrated depth, volume and carbon read from your own probes, with a range and an evidence tier on every number.", "name" : "Site Assessment", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Calibrated peat depth, volume and carbon read", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "areaServed" : [ "United Kingdom", "Ireland" ], "description" : "A screen and probe plan for a site or route, so the peat survey for your environmental statement goes where it matters.", "name" : "Peat depth screening for wind, solar and grid routes", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Peat screen for wind and infrastructure routes", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "description" : "Screens and calibrated reads under your own client work, and bespoke projects designed with your team.", "name" : "Evidence behind your advice", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Evidence for consultancies", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "description" : "A sealed test of a figure someone else produced: the prediction is locked before the values are released, then scored once.", "name" : "Independent re-test", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Independent verification of environmental figures", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "Service", "description" : "Condition, surface change and bog breathing across a restored site, read against its baseline.", "name" : "Restoration outcome evidence", "provider" : { "@id" : "https://www.vireonature.com/#org" }, "serviceType" : "Peatland restoration monitoring", "url" : "https://www.vireonature.com/offers" } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "FAQPage", "mainEntity" : [ { "@type" : "Question", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Code is built on a field protocol. 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