Naujienos

* Can Europe's forests satisfy the increasing demand for raw material and

UNECE/FAO Workshop "Mobilizing Wood Resources"

Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
on 11 - 12 January 2007

Forests have always played a major role in the supply of wood as a raw material for the traditional forest products industry, as well as wood for energy purpose. More recently, in the framework of climate change discussions and energy security, wood gained greater attention as a carbon neutral energy to replace non-renewable energy sources. Policy and decision makers started promoting the use of wood as an energy source. This, combined with rising energy prices, is leading to an increase in wood demand. The traditional use of wood in Europe (sawmills, paper, panels) continues to expand as well. Thus, the competition for wood for bio-energy versus wood for traditional industry is an increasing challenge in many European countries.

On the other hand, forest inventories have shown, that in most European forests, annual growth exceeds by far the volume of wood harvested. Therefore several stakeholders are now considering how best to mobilize additional wood resources to satisfy demand for both raw material and energy. But this has also raised questions about the impacts of increased wood mobilization: How to handle emerging conflicts? How to elaborate ‘win-win’ solutions for all stakeholders without threatening sustainable forest management?

Over 100 different stakeholders and country delegates presented their positions and strategies towards increasing wood mobilization and then discussed and assessed their opportunities and risks.

The results will also be considered by the MCPFE as a contribution in the drafting process of the resolutions for the 5th Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe to be organized in Warsaw, Poland in November 2007.

For further information, please visit the website:

Or contact:

Mr. Kit Prins, Chief, UNECE/FAO Timber Section
Palais des Nations, CH 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
E-mail: christopher.prins@unece.org,
Tel. +41 22 917 2874, Fax: +41 22 917 0041