Forest certification to be a key tool for Russian economy

14 December 2016 News

“In a world where the demand for timber is going to increase as populations grow, it is very interesting to see that there are ways to allow the Russian economy to develop further, particularly in rural areas, in a way that benefits both biodiversity and local communities,” said Ben Gunneberg, CEO of PEFC International, following his participation at the II International Conference of the Russian Pulp & Paper Industry last week.

“Forest certification is one of the key tools to allow not only local benefits to be achieved, but also to ensure that there is acceptability for Russian timber in the marketplace,” Ben continued.

The conference, which was held 30 November to 1 December in Vienna, Austria, provided Russian federal and regional authorities, academic, industry and business representatives with the opportunity to discuss the long-term development prospects for the Russian pulp and paper industry.

Our CEO headed out to Vienna to take part, co-chairing one of the sessions which looked at how forest certification can assist Russia in bringing products from their sustainably managed forests to the world marketplace and how certification can impact on local communities.

“The event attracted a wide range of stakeholders interested in promoting sustainable forest management and a sustainable industry within Russia,” Ben highlighted.

“This would provide it access to the world markets which are requiring products from sustainable resources, at a time when we know that the timber resources are becoming increasingly rare.”