From tradition to transition: governing Scotland’s peat extraction in the Scotch whisky industry

The Scotch whisky industry’s use of peat smoke during malt kilning sits between cultural tradition and environmental urgency. Peatlands are carbon stores and biodiversity habitats, yet more than 80% of Scotland’s two million hectares are degraded, and estimates of annual tonnes peat range between 6000–7000 tonnes, depending on reporting body. There is a need to align production with Scottish Government commitments on nature conservation, climate mitigation, and peatland restoration. This paper hence reframes the Scotch Whisky Association’s own stated Principles of Responsible Peat Extraction through the lenses of environmental governance and sustainable resource management scholarship. It treats peat extraction as a territorial governance issue, where national planning rules, site ecologies, and industry standards shape land-use outcomes. The analysis examines five principles: responsible site selection; impact minimisation; peatland restoration; knowledge development; and collaboration between regulators, industry, communities, and conservation bodies. Findings show alignment with regulatory expectations, including retaining at least 1 m (metre) of peat in situ and requiring restoration, but delivery gaps remain between policy ambition and ecological outcomes. The paper recommends stronger integration with national restoration targets, improved cross-sector coordination, and innovation to reduce peat dependency.