FSC Halts Certification Of Russian Products

In early March the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) suspended trading certificates in Russia and Belarus and announced it would “block wood sourcing” from the two countries as long as the armed conflict in Ukraine continued. According to the FSC announcement, “Wood and forest products from Russia and Belarus cannot be used in FSC products or be sold as FSC-certified anywhere in the world as long as the armed violence continues.” Forest management groups with FSC certification can keep their accreditation, but FSC is not approving any FCS-certified timber transaction.

In a similar announcement a few days prior, officials with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) said wood materials from the two countries would be considered “conflict timber” and could not be used in PEFC-certified products.

Perhaps the biggest forest product impact is pellet markets: In 2021, together Russia and Belarus exported almost three million tons, mostly bound for northern Europe and the Baltic states. The Russian pellet issue is also concerning in Japan, where Russia pellet exports had more than quadrupled from 2020 to 2021.