International Day of Forests

At this year’s International Day of Forests the FAO emphasises the energy role of wood

At the International Day of Forests we can try to imagine what our world will look like in 50 years. Wood is an important energy source and helps mitigate climate change, so it can contribute importantly to the future of our planet. One of its key roles is being an energy source. Foto: Bobo

In 2012 the UN General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests to encourage countries to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable forest and wood management as wood is one of the most important energy resources at local, national and international levels.

Using wood for energy purposes is increasingly important
In the past decade the importance of wood has been rapidly increasing, since its processing is energy efficient and environmentally friendly. In Slovenia wood as an energy source is one of the most important renewable energy sources replacing fossil fuels. In addition to fuelwood, which is mostly used by households, scrap wood, pellets, briquettes and other wood fuels are also important, which are used also in the wood processing industry for covering own needs for heat and electricity and in district heating systems, is also important.

Recently fuelwood production has been increasing (in 2015: 1.3 million m3). Due to the ice storm in the winter of 2014, much more wood was cut in Slovene forests and fuelwood production was more extensive. Import of fuelwood has been declining (in 2015: 152,000 m3), while export (in 2015: 380,000 m3), which has exceeded import, has varied between the years.

Households frequently use wood as an energy source
In the structure of energy consumption in Slovenia in 2015, the share of wood fuel (i.e. logs, scrap wood, wood chips, pellets and briquettes) was almost 42%. These fuels accounted for 57% of all energy sources used for space heating.

The amount of energy consumed by households depends on seasonal temperature conditions, energy efficiency of dwellings, fuel prices, etc. Between 2009 and 2015 households in Slovenia were increasingly using wood fuel for space heating (88% in 2015), water heating (11% in 2015) and cooking (1% in 2015).

Sustainable use of wood for energy purposes – important for fulfilling global sustainable development goals
Within Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, which is a historic agreement of the international community to eradicate poverty, reduce inequality, provide progress and environmental protection for current and future generations, global goal 15 encourages people to “protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests […]”

Detailed data and time series are available on the SI-STAT data portal.

Špela Gale, Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia