Nov. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Indonesia, the European Union and Russia released the most carbon dioxide from degraded peatlands last year, adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, the Wetlands International environmental group said.

Indonesia alone accounted for 500 million tons of CO2, the group said today in Barcelona where the United Nations is hosting climate talks. The draining of wetlands for development and farming worldwide led to at least 1.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide being released into the air in 2008, the report said.

“These are real hotspots,” said Hans Joost, a professor at the botany institute of Germany’s University of Greifswald. “Currently 0.3 percent of the land surface of this earth is responsible for 6 percent of the global CO2 emissions.”

The report was released during climate talks where envoys from about 180 nations are trying to devise a global agreement to reduce heat-trapping gases such as CO2. The study was prepared by scientists and coordinated by the university.

“The climate will benefit from the protection and restoration of peatlands,” Susanna Tol, a spokeswoman for the group, told reporters in the Spanish city. “So far these emissions have not been addressed.”

Water in peat soils helps lock in carbon. When marshes are drained, the carbon oxidizes to become carbon dioxide, which is discharged for years after the soils are dried. The world’s peatlands store about 500 billion tons of carbon, according to the group.

The 27-nation EU, led by Finland, emitted 174 million tons of CO2, and Russia’s total was 160 million tons, the group said.

Emissions from Chinese peat soils amounted to 77 million tons of carbon dioxide last year, and degradation of U.S. wetlands led to 68 million tons of emissions, Wetlands International said.

To contact the reporters responsible for this story: Alex Morales in Barcelona via amorales2@bloomberg.net. Todd White in Barcelona via twhite2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 4, 2009 13:35 EST