India, Feb. 21 -- Fire emissions from peatlands in the United Kingdom have released an estimated 800,000 tonnes of carbon between 2001 and 2021, a new study has warned. If global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius, emissions from peatland fires could increase by at least 60 per cent compared to current levels, reaching an annual average of approximately 3.8 million tonnes of carbon, researchers have found.

Published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, the study highlighted the significant environmental impact of peatland fires, equating the projected emissions increase to those produced annually by around 133 commercial aircraft, 820,800 passenger vehicles, or 414,000 homes.

Peatlands, a type of wetland, cover at least 3...