OL in Russia
The world's largest forest owner, Russia, is supporting responsible forestry as part of its environmental guidelines for the Winter Olympic Games 2014.
According to the "green standards" endorsed by the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources, FSC certified timber must be the preferred choice for all construction timber used in preparation for the games.
In any case, the timber must at minimum carry documentation for its legality as well as for its origin outside conservation areas. The "Green Standard" is mandatory for all developers involved in the Winter Olympics project.
Turning point
The 'Green Standard' may be seen as a turning point for FSC in Russia. Andrei Ptichnikov, Director of FSC Russian National Office, said, “It is the first time during the ten years that FSC has been established in Russia that FSC certification and FSC certified products are endorsed for internal use by the Russian Government.”
The Russian resort city Sochi, situated at the Black sea cost, has been selected as the place of Winter Olympic games 2014. The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has declared they will further develop their “green program” to include certification requirements for all paper products for the event, including office paper and printing materials envelopes and tickets.
The “green standards” also require environmentally responsible and resource-saving technologies used during Olympic construction and include specifications on materials as well as aspects such as architectural planning, electricity supplies or waste management.
Source: FSC-International
