One of our Extension specialists wrote a blog article about peat-free potting mixes a couple of years ago (see link). Peatlands store about 30% of the world's carbon, but only make up about 3% of landmass. Once peat is harvested, it takes many decades to restore the land to a functioning wetland. (The decay of live sphagnum mosses into what we would consider "finished" peat also takes a long time.) There is lots of research on how wetlands function and the importance of wetlands conservation to mitigate climate change, though we don't maintain a list of specific citations. (Google Scholar might be one resource you can peruse.)

To improve climate resiliency, we recommend that gardeners reduce their use of peat moss where possible. Less peat harvested means less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and there is also an economic and environmental cost to the harvesting/processing/transportation process. (Granted, the latter can be said about coco coir and other materials as well.) If using locally-sourced materials, such as compost as a potting mix component, that can reduce its overall carbon footprint.

Miri