Rewetting of raised moorland area: Wearing rubber boots for climate protection
By Marcus Schick I 7 minute read
06/05/2026
Together with myclimate and ZukunftMoor, DACHSER is launching a long-term climate protection project in Lower Saxony. Through rewetting and the cultivation of peat moss, a natural CO2 sink is being reactivated—while simultaneously creating a new model for sustainable agriculture.
The cool morning in late March in the North German lowlands greets us with “April weather.” The sky is overcast, and the icy wind brings rain showers. Every now and then, however, the sun peeks through. In contrast, the faces of the people gathered out here are beaming with joy. DACHSER and its partners, the non-profit foundation myClimate and ZukunftMoor Gnarrenburg GmbH, have invited guests to Gnarrenburg, a town of 9,000 residents in the district of Rotenburg in Lower Saxony. The occasion is a groundbreaking ceremony of a very special kind: the Corporate Citizen+ project “Rewetting of the Langenhausen Moor.”
A work assignment that extends far beyond the day
Active participation is on the agenda, but nothing gets done here without rubber boots: The ground gives way with a squelch underfoot, and water pools in shallow depressions. Anyone pitching in here needs to be willing to stand in the mud and should move carefully to avoid getting stuck. That’s exactly what everyone present is doing today: Bernhard Simon, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at DACHSER; members of the shareholder family; as well as Burkhard Eling (CEO) and Stefan Hohm (CDO) representing the Executive Board. Joining them are branch managers and trainees from Bremen, Hamburg, and Hanover, representatives of the partners myClimate and ZukunftMoor, and finally colleagues from the Corporate Sustainability department who are coordinating the project at DACHSER.
“The motivation and drive, especially among our younger colleagues and our local partners, is impressive. When generations work side by side like this, tangible progress is made. Above all, however, it is an expression of a culture of sustainability within the company that extends far beyond this project,” says DACHSER CEO Burkhard Eling, who, together with his Executive Board colleague Stefan Hohm, is visibly enjoying himself as he lends a hand in sowing peat moss. What is beginning here is part of a long-term climate protection project: the rewetting of a drained moorland area covering nearly 12 hectares, which is equivalent to approximately 16 soccer fields or the size of a larger DACHSER branch.
At the end of 2023, DACHSER, myclimate and the children’s charity Terre des Hommes decided to work together on a long-term basis to launch new climate protection projects worldwide or to expand existing initiatives.
When generations work side by side like this, tangible progress is made. Above all, however, it is an expression of a culture of sustainability within the company that extends far beyond this project.
An underestimated climate key
Peatlands are among the most effective natural carbon sinks on Earth. Although they cover only about three percent of the world’s land area, they store twice as much carbon as all forests combined. However, when a peatland is drained, this effect is reversed: the carbon bound over centuries is released—on a massive scale. In Germany alone, this accounts for around seven percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions. According to the “Mooratlas” published by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the use of drained peatlands for low-yield agriculture causes 25 times as many greenhouse gas emissions as domestic air traffic in Germany.
The peatland and its history are an integral part of the local culture. It was drained as early as the 18th century and is primarily managed as pastureland for dairy cattle.
The Langenhausen Moor, too, had been drained over decades—for agricultural use with comparatively low yields that decrease year by year and eventually dry up. The result: continuous emissions that accumulate over long periods of time. According to calculations by ZukunftMoor, more than 2,000 tons of CO₂ equivalents are currently released annually on the project site. Without intervention, this process would continue for centuries.
3 %
of the Earth’s surface is covered by peatlands. They store twice as much carbon as the biomass of all forests combined
Bring back the water, stop emissions
The solution is as simple as it is effective: the water returns. Drainage systems are dismantled, the water level is raised, and the area is rewetted. This stops the decomposition process—and the moor can resume its original function as a carbon sink. Re-wetlands are also essential for greater biodiversity and the development of a sustainable rural value chain.
The project relies on an innovative concept that combines climate protection with land use: so-called paludiculture. The term derives from the Latin “palus”—“marsh”—and refers to the agricultural and forestry use of wet or re-wetlands. Specifically, this means that in the Langenhausen Moor, sphagnum moss is cultivated—serving as a climate-friendly substitute for peat in the substrate industry. This not only creates an effective carbon sink but also offers economic opportunities for local farmers.
After renaturation, CO2e emissions will be saved there that are equivalent to those from 14 million kilometers of heavy-duty truck traffic.
New Prospects for Agriculture
This creates an approach that brings together ecological and economic interests. “Sphagnum moss has the potential to replace the use of climate-damaging peat—an important step in light of the planned phase-out of peat in the European Union by 2030,” says Julia Kasper, co-founder and managing director of ZukunftMoor.
Stefan Hohm, who as Chief Development Officer (CDO) is responsible for areas including Research & Development and innovation at DACHSER, emphasizes the scale of the project: “After renaturation, CO2e emissions will be saved there that are equivalent to those from 14 million kilometers of heavy-duty truck traffic.” Together, this creates a model that demonstrates how climate protection projects can be scaled and integrated into existing economic structures.
14.558
tons of CO2e will be reduced on the DACHSER site in the Langenhausen Moor through rewetting.
Taking responsibility together
For DACHSER, the commitment to the Langenhausen Moor is part of the Corporate Citizen+ program—an expanded understanding of long-term, social, and climate-related engagement that goes beyond the core business. “With our Corporate Citizen+ program, we want to make a lasting contribution to environmental and climate protection, beyond advertising and certificates,” says Bernhard Simon.
50
years of project duration
With our Corporate Citizen+ program, we want to make a lasting contribution to environmental and climate protection, beyond advertising and certificates.
The project in the Langenhausen Moor connects DACHSER’s identity and roots in Germany with this global commitment to better living conditions and stability. The project exemplifies a new form of land use that combines climate protection, resource conservation, and regional value creation. “The rewetting of a peatland is not a quick fix—but a sustainable investment in the future. The project’s 50-year duration underscores this long-term approach,” explains Simon. “Future generations will benefit from what we have set in motion today.”
