FSC Ukraine continues to stand strong amidst challenges of the war

“Our guiding principle was that we should find opportunities to act, rather than using the war as a reason to do nothing,” said Pavlo Kravets, Director of FSC Ukraine, “with the number one priority to keep people safe.”

That included finding safer places to work, adapting to hybrid working at home and in the field, sourcing electricity at times and co-working spaces that could offer internet access.

Oksana Pavlishchuk, forest management certification manager, says they quickly turned fear and worry into resilience and endurance.

“The new reality of the war required different organization of work processes and everyday issues, combining offline and online work,” she explained.

As soon as Russia invaded Ukraine, FSC agreed to adapt its framework to allow certification in Ukraine to continue in areas not affected by the war, allowing the country to continue to benefit from its standards.

Certificates in zones of armed conflict were suspended to protect foresters and auditors from life-threatening risks such as land mines. The remainder of Ukraine continues to maintain and protect their forests using FSC certification. In this way, people can undertake usual activities in areas where risks are mitigated to keep the country economically viable.
more at: https://fsc.org/en/newscentre/general-news/fsc-ukraine-continues-to-stand-strong-amidst-challenges-of-the-war