WWF and IKEA Partnership on responsible forestry in Russia

Combating a Crisis

Russia is home to one fifth of the world’s forests and has the largest remaining areas of intact natural boreal forests. It is also a major supplier of roundwood, fibre and panel products.

Pressure on Russia’s forests is increasing, brought on by a combination of poor legislation and governance that has led to a crisis for forestry in the country.

Responsible forest management
The WWF and IKEA Partnership on Forest Projects works to develop responsible forest management through a number of activities - promotion of forest certification and legal compliance, application of the HCVF toolkit, and awareness raising.

Illegal logging a serious problem
Illegal logging activities and illegal log exports from Russia to China are a significant cause of forest loss in the Russian Far East, and distort the market for legitimate operators. It is estimated that 50 per cent of all timber harvested in the area is illegally cut.

On the Russian side, money from poached timber contributes to corruption in state forest management, and also creates unfavourable conditions for responsible forest business.

One important activity therefore is promoting legal compliance, linking the work in Russia and China. Promoting legal compliance in Russia involves "watchdog" reporting, dissemination of research findings, advocacy and stakeholder consultations, and lobbying for political will to curb illegal logging.

Delivering results
Illegal logging is also being addressed on the ground in the Russian Far East, where the last remaining broadleaf deciduous Korean pine forests still stand, after having survived wide-scale commercial harvesting during the Soviet period. Specifically in the province of Evreiskaya Autonomous Oblast, bordering China, an anti-timber poaching brigade - the Sobol brigade - was set up. Thanks to the brigade, the province no longer suffers from large scale illegal logging and the brigade also revealed corruption in the State Forest Service.

Identifying Russia's High Conservation Value Forests
The High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) Toolkit, developed under the WWF and IKEA Partnership, is being adapted for use in Russia. In the Arkhangelsk region, its use has already bear fruits - a moratorium on potential HCVFs was declared in March 2004.

Spreading the word, increasing expertise
Demand for information and capacity building on responsible forest management is high in Russia. Certification Centres, spread out over Russia, play a very important role in disseminating information about forest management and certification to forest stakeholders. They also provide practical support in preparing companies for certification.

Working with Companies
The WWF and IKEA Co-operation is also supporting activities of the Russian Producer Group, which operates under WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN). Several major companies have joined the Russian Producer Group and are now committed to implementing responsible forest management.