Improving Energy Efficiency as a Tool for Forest Resource Conservation
On May 28 in Kyiv, the UST team, together with representatives of WWF-Ukraine and the Independent National Law Firm Arzinger, presented the results of the project “Reducing the Use of Forest Biomass in Ukraine.”
The project aimed to develop analytical reports outlining measures to support forest conservation, reduce firewood consumption, and promote sustainable energy alternatives.
“Unfortunately, due to the war with the occupiers, Ukraine cannot completely abandon the use of forest biomass for energy purposes. However, this situation compels us to rethink our approach to the efficient use of energy resources. In our research, the main goal was to identify the most economically viable solutions that would enable more efficient and rational energy consumption,” noted Olena Koltyk, Head of UST, during the presentation.
The UST experts were responsible for preparing the analytical report “Assessing the Potential for Reducing Forest Biomass Consumption.”
The relevance of this study was driven by three key factors:
- Energy challenges, particularly the need to reduce biomass use;
- The need to conserve forests;
- The fight against illegal logging.
A key value of the report lies in the methodology developed for identifying and selecting territorial communities where it is most appropriate to implement projects aimed at reducing the use of firewood as fuel. This methodology includes detailed regional and local selection criteria. Focusing on regional indicators, the report presents a ranking of Ukrainian oblasts, with Kyiv, Zakarpattia, and Zhytomyr making the top three.
The report also proposes practical solutions to reduce firewood consumption in public and private buildings. These include:
- modernization of heating systems,
- improvement of building insulation, and
- adoption of renewable energy sources.
From a monitoring and accountability perspective, the project developed tools to enhance transparency and oversight, including satellite analytics, digital wood tracking systems, and public monitoring mechanisms.
This project was funded by the Advisory Assistance Programme (AAP) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) for environmental protection in Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and other neighboring countries of the European Union.
It was supervised by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the German Environment Agency (UBA).
The authors of this publication bear full responsibility for its content.
