Peatlands comprise a significant proportion of terrestrially stored carbon which is susceptible to destabilisation by a changing climate. The carbon store that peatlands represent is viable only under a strict regime of conditions. The predicted increases in atmospheric CO2 concentration and associated precipitation, hydrology and temperature changes have the potential to unbalance this delicate system. However, the precise manifestation of this imbalance is unknown. Existing studies of peatland biogeochemical cycling under manipulated climate conditions concentrate on the effects of individual treatments in isolation from other interacting factors. This study therefore aimed to investigate the response of a Welsh ombrotrophic bog, a Welsh calcium-rich fen and a Finnish ombrotrophic bog to combinations of elevated CO2 concentration (550 ppm) produced by FACE (Free Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment), water table draw down, flooding and a range of artificially manipulated temperatures. The biogeochemistry of the peat pore water, green house gas emissions and a range of ecosystem processes were observed and measured. The effect of the interactions between variables was unpredicted with reference to the established knowledge of the effects of the separate forcing mechanisms. The principal observation of increased carbon export as a result of the interactions of the climate variables was not affected by peatland type or geographical location, though the specific processes did vary between peatlands. The concentration of dissolved carbon increased in the pore water of all peatlands. Carbon dioxide emission increased as a result of interactions of the eCO2, water table draw down and increased temperature treatments. CH4 emissions increased in all cases, in all ecosystems apart from the interaction of a water table drawdown and elevated atmospheric CO2 in the Welsh nutrient-poor bog. The most surprising interactive-treatment results of the study include a 19 fold increase in CO2 emission in the Welsh bog due to a draw down in water table level and eCO2 where CO2 emission was expected to decrease; an increase in pore water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in both the Welsh bog and the Welsh fen due to the interaction of eCO2 and a lower water table, rather than the expected decrease, and an increase in N2O emission in the fen; an increase in the sensitivity of the Finnish bog to flooding regarding the efflux of greenhouse gasses due to eCO2; and a Q1o rate-response of 40 regarding the efflux of CH4 from the Finnish peat bog. The results of this investigation suggest the availability of labile carbon, and the environment in which it can be used by peatland biota, determines the rates and processes of peatland carbon sequestration. An environment previously thought to reduce the effects of global climate change through the sequestration of carbon may exacerbate the problem through increasing the concentration of atmospheric carbon rather than removing it. It is anticipated that these findings will demonstrate the need to include the rates of land to atmosphere carbon exchange in global carbon-budget analysis. Due to the difficulty of reducing atmospheric CO2 concentration, there is a crucial role that conservation and management of wetlands can perform in the amelioration of global climate change. For example, through the sustained control of water-table levels and water-catchment area regulation, thousands of years worth of carbon approbation could be prevented from creating a feedback mechanism capable of accelerating global climate change.