PEAT NEWS
10/2013
Page 2
IPS Executive Board and Industry met in Tallinn
IPS held a special round table on industry developments, needs of and contributions towards its corporate members
in Tallinn on 28 October. The meeting was attended by 25 association, company and EB representatives from Canada,
Finland, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and United Kingdom
who spent an informative afternoon identifying 14 action points for future cooperation. In addition, the participants
were briefed on the nature and structure of the IPS, its general activities, funding and foreseen projects of global
importance (see PI 2.2013). In the future, IPS will strengthen its forces especially with regard to international
conventions having impact on local decision-making, better and faster communication with all stakeholders, regional
involvement and education, technology workshops and similar practical arrangements, and improved usage and
monitoring of internet services related to peat and peatlands. A follow-up meeting will be held on 3 December with
the Board of the European Peat and Growing Media Association (EPAGMA) in Brussels. We will keep you informed!
Decisions of the Tallinn EB Meeting
The members of the IPS Executive Board spent 28 - 30 October with their regular autumn meetings in Tallinn, on
invitation of the Estonian National Committee. This is a short summary of the most important decisions. During the
first work session on Monday, the EB members prepared the industry round table described above. Tuesday was filled
with a status update on the work of the IPS Secretariat and on the process to employ a new Secretary General. It was
agreed that an open recruitment process would be started within the next few weeks.
The EB also noted and discussed the financial status of the IPS as of 30 August 2013, including expected income and
expenses until the end of the year. It was suggested to better utilize IPS rules in generating income from peat and
peatland conferences to complement membership fee income in the future. Guus van Berckel and Erki Niitlaan
presented the cities of Groningen, the Netherlands and Tallinn, Estonia as possible hosts of the International Peat
Congress 2020. This will be decided at the Annual Assembly 2014 in Riga – surely an exciting year to come!
The Board furthermore noted the first digital edition of Peatlands International and decided to produce at least 2
digital magazines and monthly Peat News in early 2014, until feedback from the first issues, the survey results and
viewer statistics are available and evaluated. Please remember to comment the “new” magazine at
www.bit.ly/17VfJF2. With regards to the IPS membership the EB confirmed that up to 6 contact persons for each
corporate and research institute member are welcome to be listed on the IPS member directory, and that they are
entitled to receive Peatlands International and Peat News. Let your employees know about this possibility!
The Board also approved the cooperation contract for the ISHS-IPS conference “International Symposium on Growing
Media, Composting and Substrate Analysis” in Vienna, Austria, 7 - 11 September 2015, discussed progress on the
proposed IPS Peat Academy, noted the suggestion for a FAO guidebook “Towards Climate Responsible Peatland
Management” and considered the proposal from IUCN UK Peatland Programme for a booklet entitled “Demonstrating
Success: Global Peatland Restoration”. Comments and suggestions can be sent to jack.rieley (at) nottingham.ac.uk.
During the strategic part of the meeting, the EB heard a report on the current email meeting of the IPS Scientific
Advisory Board (more information to come) and three inspiring presentations of the IPS interns: Sandra Lubinaite
reported on development possibilities for a non-profit organization like IPS, Henna Honkala analysed the survey to
further develop the Strategy for Responsible Peatland Management, and Ines Böttcher introduced the future IPS
project packages, their realization, timetables and funding opportunities. These include World Peat Resources,
Development of the SRPM, Peat and Climate and the Peat Academy.
With regard to the International Peat Congress 2016 in Kuching it was mentioned that the 1st Circular and Call for
Papers shall be published soon, together with the establishment of a Congress website. It was confirmed that
abstracts and extended papers will be published in the members section at the IPS website six months after the
Congress. Help us to promote this major event!
The Annual Assembly 2014 and National Committee Round Table will be held in Riga, Latvia at the “Peat and
Technology” Conference during 25 - 29 August 2014. Donal Clarke invited the IPS for the Annual Assembly 2015 to
Ireland. This will be organized as an IPS conference including much time for discussion, round tables and workshops.
The summary of the original minutes “in a nutshell” will be available at the IPS document database next week.
International Peat Society
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