A wide range of interested stakeholders in responsible forest management, including maintenance and preservation of environmental values, were united by the webinar "Realizing the Potential of Environmental Values Experts and Consultants in FSC Certification". Scientists, educators, representatives of environmental NGOs, environmental institutions, forestry business, certification bodies, and others were united in their desire to strengthen responsibility in forestry. The requirements of the FSC National Forest Stewardship Standard of Ukraine in terms of environmental values are an area where the engagement of experts and consultants is essential for forest certification purposes.
In addition to its informational value, the webinar was also practice-oriented. In particular, the presentation of the experience of engaging experts in identification of high conservation values, the development of methodological guidelines on these issues reflected the practical component and a real opportunity for experts and consultants to unleash their own potential, making a significant contribution to improving the well-being of society and environment's quality.
The discussions and debates during the webinar went beyond the pre-set goals and covered a wide range of issues related to the practical implementation of FSC certification requirements in Ukraine. The ability of forestry enterprises to properly fulfill their obligations in terms of environmental values is an issue that determines the relevance of constant interaction between forestry practitioners and representatives of the expert community. The use of all possible tools by FSC certificate holders to achieve the goals of responsible forest management, including expert and advisory support for decisions, will reflect their commitment to the values of forest certification and the desire for continuous improvement.
Pavlo Kravets, Director of FSC Ukraine, emphasized: “Once again, we are convinced that Ukraine has a strong expert and advisory potential to support responsible forest management. The frank and open discussion that took place contributed to solving the issue of its disclosure and consolidation of FSC certification participants and interested stakeholders in ensuring the conservation of environmental values”.