Roslesinforg experts conducted a cost assessment of the forest resources of the Russian Federation. The total value of all forests in Russia at the end of 2022 amounted to 73.3 trillion rubles. The assessment included operational forests, that is, wood suitable for industrial processing, as well as the ecological potential of these plantations. The total value of wood stocks that can be used for commercial purposes (namely, the export and trade of wood and timber, the use of wood as fuel) is 2.2 trillion rubles. The most expensive stocks are larch, pine and stone birch – the most common tree species in the country.
The reserves of ripe and over–ripe trees in operational forests were taken for calculation, that is, 53 species of trees from birches to junipers – 28.7 billion cubic meters and the average tax value of one cubic meter of wood - 76 rubles. The price is influenced by the breed, age and condition of trees, their geographical location and the availability of logistical access to the forest resource. The market value of wood depends on the place where the tree was cut down, as well as on the moisture content of the wood that was processed and in what form it went to retail.
The value of forests is not only commercial wood, but also their role in climate regulation - the ability to absorb CO2 and store carbon. The cost of stored carbon in forests can be estimated at about 67.5 trillion rubles, based on an average of 580 rubles per 1 ton of absorbed CO2 or the price of 1 ton of CO2 equivalent. This is 31.8 billion tons of accumulated carbon by forests. The value of forests, due to their carbon-depositing role, annually adds another 360 billion rubles to this figure, taking into account the annual absorption of 622 million tons of CO2 per year. That is, the ecological potential of forests is 96% higher than the resource potential in financial terms. At the same time, if we regularly reassess and keep the data up to date, the additional potential of forests can be increased by 18.9 trillion rubles, taking into account the revaluation of the additional 32.5 billion tons of CO2 absorbed, and the annual absorption will increase by another 187 million tons of CO2 or 108 billion rubles in financial equivalent.
A comprehensive assessment was obtained using a combination of satellite imagery and field data from the State forest inventory, which collects information about forests and their dynamics throughout the country. Updated statistics can have a significant impact on the wood market. At the same time, new facts are also important from the point of view of our country's compliance with obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce CO2 emissions.
Roslesinforge estimated the cost of Russian forests
Roslesinforg 07 December 2022 16:23
