Environmental Groups Call for a Ban on the Use of Russian and Belarusian Timber

Over a 120 individual environmental rights groups have joined together and are calling for a ban on the use of Russian and Belarussian timber in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The groups note that most of the wood is being sold directly or indirectly to the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. The wood is used to make buildings, paper, clothes, and furniture as well as to fuel power plants.

In a statement released on Thursday (3-3-22) by the group, they explain that “Both Russia and Belarus rely heavily on the export of timber and wood products. In 2021, the export of timber and wood products from the Russian Federation was US$13.9 billion.”

“The financial resources the Russian and Belarussian governments gain from wood exports help to equip the Russian invaders, fuel their tanks, and produce their bombs. Therefore, consuming Russian and Belarussian wood and timber products means supporting death and destruction in Ukraine,” they added.

In addition to the call for boycott, the environmental investigative NGO Earthsight included a list of the largest importers of Russian timber into the US and Europe. They include giants like the Finnish firms UPM Kymmene and Stora Enso, as well as the U.S.-based International Paper, which is the second largest paper producer in the world.

Last on their list was the popular Swedish furniture giant IKEA. “Russia is IKEA’s second largest source of wood. IKEA is also a major consumer of wood from Belarus,” Earthsight explained. “IKEA made direct imports of wood furniture panels and finished furniture from Russia worth $33 million in the year to 2021,” it said.