The Impact of the Russian-Ukrainian War on Europe's Forest-Based Bioeconomy

The Russian-Ukrainian war has led to an increase of stress on forests. International sanctions have hit timber exports from Russia and Belarus, and the conflict severely affects timber production in Ukraine. The three countries accounted for a quarter of the worldwide timber trade in 2021, and Russia was the world's largest exporter of softwood. The war increases the European Union's (EU's) dependency on its own forest resources. This exacerbates the challenge to achieve a balance between forests as carbon sink, habitat for biodiversity conservation and functional ecosystems on one hand, and on the other, the growing demand for wood-based materials harvested from forests and rising demand for renewable energy. Our study provides insights into this trade-off with regard to climate goals, where EU's forest-based bioeconomy plays a major role.