FSC at Rebuild Ukraine

A joint FSC team attended the Rebuild Ukraine fair in Warsaw on 13 and 14 of November to promote certified wood in the recovery of country. 

Rebuild Ukraine is the largest event in the world dedicated entirely to the recovery of Ukraine. Discussions focused not only how to rebuild the country after the Russian invasion ends, but also on how to help citizens and local communities right now, so that their basic needs for clean water, energy and safety can be met. 

Rebuild Ukraine is a unique opportunity to connect with many different stakeholders and discover opportunities for partnerships. The event gathers an extremely diverse group of stakeholders interested in Ukraine’s recovery from different angles. There were representatives of governments of, among others, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, and Norway, as well as many people from the energy, construction, and manufacturing sectors, and financial institutions. A joint FSC team from Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and FSC International, with remote support from FSC Ukraine, had many promising discussions with them. 

This year’s event was a big success, with FSC’s booth being one of the most popular. The goal was to promote certified material in the recovery of Ukraine and to offer insights on how wood in construction projects can increase sustainability and reduce carbon footprint. To promote that message, FSC Ukraine team, together with their partners and external experts, offered a webinar on ‘European Initiatives on Sustainable Constructing with Wood: Experience and Lessons for Ukraine’. The webinar, which took place on 14 November, focused on the topics presented in the report ‘The Role of Wood Construction in Ukraine’s Recovery: Overview of Strategies and Initiatives’, developed at the request of FSC Ukraine. More than 60 people, representing a variety of sectors and countries, attended the webinar. 

The recovery of Ukraine after the war will be one of the largest reconstruction efforts in modern history. It will require not only vast funds but also a well-thought-out plan to build back better, considering all the challenges the planet is facing – such as climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Ukraine is already building timber homes for people displaced by Russian aggression and constructing new public infrastructure such as hospitals. Overall, building with timber is much more sustainable than concrete or steel, and with the rapidly expanding area of FSC-certified forests in Ukraine, it can be one of the ways to rebuild the country more responsibly.