The transformation of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification Scheme in Russia after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Abstract

This article investigates the transformation of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification scheme in Russia into the complementary Forest Etalon (FE) scheme after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Before the invasion, Russia had the largest FSC-certified forest area worldwide. The FSC gradually withdrew from Russia following the invasion and the sanctions that followed. Yet, forest certification did not disappear with the FSC. The FE, composed largely of former FSC staff and national FSC members, has emerged as the most prominent forest certification organisation in Russia to date (2024). It uses FSC standards for its certificates, and carries on many principles, mechanisms, and resources inherited from the FSC. The article draws on semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and the concept of Governance Generating Networks to analyse the transformation of the FSC into the FE certification scheme and underlying institutional arrangements. It shows how former FSC staff in Russia used the FE to preserve FSC values and standards, and traces how changes in political-economic circumstances since 2022 impacted the agency of and relationship between actors and institutions relevant to the certification network. We argue that this case may be a precursor to future contractions and disruptions in global (forest) governance. Against this background, this analysis contributes to a better understanding of adaptation to fundamental political-economic changes and uncertainty significant beyond the specific case.