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The Importance of Information Flow Relevant to Sustainable Forestry and the European Green Deal: The Case of Poland
The aim of the conducted research was to develop a classification of relevant/sustainable information by indicating the links between relevant information and the various functions of forests, and to obtain information on the value of specific sustainable forestry information for users of reporting information. The specific objectives include indicating the weight of information regarding sustainable development contained in the 2030 Forestry Strategy. The research was carried out using the example of the State Forests of Poland in correlation with the actions and initiatives of the European Green Deal, identifying the enduring functions of sustainable forestry, and attempting to relate them to the relevant information disclosed in mandatory reporting. The research problem was formulated as the question: which information disclosed in reporting, including statistical data, is considered by information users to be the most useful? The study was implemented through the development of survey questionnaires aimed at examining the information needs of information users. The study employed the triangulation method, in particular: a literature analysis and critique, a logical analysis and construction, and the snowball sampling method. Triangulation ensures the reliability of the research approach as well as the acquisition of comprehensive and contextual knowledge about the given phenomenon. The results of the empirical research indicated which pieces of information disclosed in the reporting on the activities of the State Forests are particularly useful for internal stakeholders and which do not necessarily provide value and therefore may be omitted in reporting. The study presented in the article constitutes the first empirical study of its kind in Poland, conducted in the context of understanding and defining relevant information from the perspective of sustainable forestry. The study illustrates individual behaviors in the context of the information currently disclosed in correlation with their usefulness.
The Impact of Selected Market Factors on the Prices of Wood Industry By-Products in Poland in the Context of Climate Policy Changes
The objective of this study was to analyze price variability and the factors influencing the formation of monthly prices of by-products of the wood industry in Poland between October 2017 and January 2025. The analysis considered the impact of economic variables, including energy commodity prices (natural gas and coal) and industrial wood prices, on the pricing of wood industry by-products. The adopted approach enabled the identification of key determinants shaping the prices of these by-products. The effectiveness of two tree-based regression models—Random Forest (RF) and CatBoost (CB)—was compared in the analysis. Although RF offers greater interpretability and lower computational requirements, CB proved more effective in modeling dynamic, time-dependent phenomena. The results indicate that industrial wood prices exerted a weaker influence on by-product prices than natural gas prices, suggesting that the energy sector plays a leading role in shaping biomass prices. Coal prices had only a marginal impact on the biomass market, implying that changes in coal availability and pricing did not directly translate into changes in the prices of wood industry by-products. The growing role of renewable energy sources derived from natural gas and wood biomass is contributing to the emergence of a distinct market, increasingly independent of the traditional coal market. In Poland, due to limited access to alternative energy sources, biomass plays a critical role in the decarbonization of the energy sector.
Forest land purchasing by forest districts of the Regional Directorate of the State Forests in Toruń in the light of applicable legal regulations
Taxonomy Regulation as a New Instrument for the Sustainable Management of the Forest Environment in Europe
Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament, also known as the Taxonomy Regulation, facilitates environmentally sustainable investments. It is part of the concept of the European Green Deal and a ‘tool’ for financial institutions, enterprises, and investors, facilitating the assessment of the environmental impact of a particular project. The Regulation contains the criteria an activity must meet to be considered environmentally sustainable. The role of the Taxonomy Regulation is to enable the flow of public and private capital towards ecological and sustainable activities. The document does not need to be implemented into the legal order of individual EU member-states, which results in its direct application. The main financial instruments enabling the achievement of the goals of the Taxonomy Regulation may be green bonds and other forms of capital raising by entrepreneurs and forest ownership structures. The assumption of the Regulation is to achieve the principles of sustainable environmental activity when spending funds obtained from private investors. It is an issue of key significance to identify the areas of management and financial accounting in the operational activities of forest enterprises that can be qualified for the Taxonomy Regulation. Forestry activities, including the processes mentioned therein, the objectives of the New EU Forest Strategy, and the LULUCF Regulation, are to play an essential role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The role of forestry in the supply chain in its broad sense is also considered. Forestry and forest management can receive capital for sustainable development due to the threat resulting from exclusions that strengthen the protective function of the forest (the protection of biodiversity). These processes will occur at the expense of production and numerous social functions.
The use of forest biomass for energy purposes in selected european countries
The utilization of primary and secondary woody biomass resources, despite controversies, is being promoted to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and due to the need to diversify energy sources and ensure energy security in European Union countries. Forest biomass is one of the renewable and sustainable energy sources that can be used for electricity, heat, and biofuel production. In the context of the ongoing energy crisis in Europe, an attempt was made to analyze the production and consumption of woody biomass for energy purposes (fuel wood, chips, and pellets). Specifically, an analysis of similarities between European countries in terms of biomass utilization was conducted. The analysis was complemented by a forecast of primary biomass production in selected European countries. The similarity analysis was conducted using the Ward method. Artificial neural networks (ANNs), including multi-layer feedforward perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF) models, were used to predict fuelwood extraction. The study showed that woody biomass remains an important source of bioenergy in Europe, and its significance as a strategic resource guaranteeing energy security is likely to increase. Fuel wood harvesting in Europe generally shows an upward trend, particularly in the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Denmark, and the UK. A decreasing trend was observed in France, Spain, Greece, and Cyprus. The analysis revealed differences between countries in terms of woody biomass consumption. The ANN-based forecasts of fuelwood supply generally showed an increase in primary biomass harvesting.
The rate of change in the salaries of employees of the State Forests compared to selected sectors of the economy in Poland
Wood Biomass Resources in Poland Depending on Forest Structure and Industrial Processing of Wood Raw Material
(1) Wood is a widely available raw material on the market, which satisfies the industrial demand and which is used both as a source of biomass for the wood materials industry in a broad sense and for energy-supplying purposes. These areas prove the functional values and the possibilities of the directional use of low-quality wood products. One of the factors influencing the overall balance of the wood biomass is the form and quality of the wood material that cannot be further processed mechanically. This study was conducted to determine the influence of this material by presenting the dependence between the level of wood biomass resources and the conditions of wood acquisition and processing in Poland. (2) The basic directions of biomass acquisition were verified in correlation with the level of its acquisition from forest areas and with the form of by-products generated by sawmills. The research was based on the data from reference publications and analysis of the processing of raw wood in sawmills. The research was conducted on raw hardwood and softwood from coniferous and deciduous forests in Poland. (3) The research confirmed the influence of the processing method on the form and share of by-products. It also showed that the form of the wood biomass obtained was influenced by the region of Poland. (4) The research showed that the regionalisation and wood processing directions were correlated with the structure of the wood biomass acquired.
Supply of Wood Biomass in Poland in Terms of Extraordinary Threat and Energy Transition
In this article, we present the possibility of applying the concept of elasticity in the system of sustainable energy development through the use of wood biomass. We used a dual (socio-ecological and economic) approach to sustainable energy development. The research was carried out using the methods of reduction reasoning, scientific observation, and examination of source documents. We identified crisis threats in the context of sustainable energy development. Then, we analyzed the supply of wood biomass in Poland, taking into account its geographical location. As a result, we identified and characterized the causal relationships between the assumptions of the concept of resistance and the sustainable development of energy with the use of wood biomass. We found that the concepts of resilience can be adapted to assessing energy sustainability. This adaptation is based on resilience, flexibility, and strategic ability to revitalize the country. We found that five key threats (extreme weather events, climate breakdown, pollution, infectious diseases, loss of biodiversity) affect both the energy-sustainability system and forest management, and the relationship is two-way. We show that the production of forest biomass is compatible with modern forest management and supports the implementation of sustainable energy development, which takes place under the concept of resilience.
A Comparison of artificial neural network and time series models for timber price forecasting
The majority of the existing studies on timber price forecasting are based on ARIMA/SARIMA autoregressive moving average models, while vector autoregressive (VAR) and exponential smoothing (ETS) models have been employed less often. To date, timber prices in primary timber markets have not been forecasted with ANN methodology. This methodology was used only for forecasting lumber futures. Low-labor-intensive and relatively simple solutions that can be used in practice as a tool supporting decisions of timber market participants were sought. The present work sets out to compare RBF and MLP artificial neural networks with the Prophet procedure and with classical models (i.e., ARIMA, ETS, BATS, and TBATS) in terms of their suitability for forecasting timber prices in Poland. The study material consisted of quarterly time series of net nominal prices of roundwood (W0) for the years 2005–2021. MLP was found to be far superior to other models in terms of forecasting price changes and levels. ANN models exhibited a better fit to minimum and maximum values as compared to the classical models, which had a tendency to smooth price trends and produce forecasts biased toward average values. The Prophet procedure led to the lowest quality of projections. Ex-post error-based measures of prediction accuracy revealed a complex picture. The best forecasts for alder wood were obtained using the ETS model (with RMSE and MAE values of approx. 0.38 € m−3). ETS also performed well with respect to beech timber, although in this case BATS was just as good in terms of RMSE, while the difference between ETS and neural models amounted to as little as 0.64 € m−3. Birch timber prices were most accurately predicted with BATS and TBATS models (MAE 0.86 € m−3, RMSE 1.04 € m−3). The prices of the most popular roundwood types in Poland, i.e., Scots pine, Norway spruce, and oaks, were best forecasted using ANNs, and especially MLP models. Among the neural models for oak (MAE 4.74 € m−3, RMSE 8.09 € m−3), pine (MAE 2.21 € m−3, RMSE 2.83 € m−3), beech (MAE 2.31 € m−3, RMSE 2.70 € m−3), alder (MAE 1.88 € m−3, RMSE 2.40 € m−3), and spruce (MAE 2.44 € m−3, RMSE 2.58 € m−3), the MLP model was the best (the RBF model for birch). Of the seven models used to forecast the prices of six types of wood, the worst results were obtained for oak wood, while the best results were obtained for alder.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Clustering of EU Forest Policies in the Context of the 2030 New Forest Strategy
In the face of climate challenges and growing social inequalities, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) has become a key framework for sustainable development. Within the EU, forestry—covering about one third of Europe—is increasingly addressed through ESG principles in the 2030 New EU Forest Strategy (NSF 2030). This study aims to systematize the diversity and similarities of EU Member States’ forest policies using ESG indicators aligned with NFS 2030 objectives. We do not assess policy outcomes but rather identify clusters of countries with similar forest-economy profiles to fill a research gap and support more coherent strategies. Using hierarchical clustering on selected ESG indicators, we find very high variability in EU forest policies. The results confirm that NFS 2030 can serve as an analytical tool to identify clusters of countries with similar ESG profiles and tailor policies to their contexts. The identification of eight clusters per ESG segment underscores the need for a differentiated, flexible approach to achieving common EU forest objectives. Despite similarities within clusters, diverse economic, environmental, and social conditions often require differentiated policies tailored to each country’s unique context.
Public Perception of the Use of Woody Biomass for Energy Purposes in the Evaluation of Content and Information Management on the Internet
The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the public perception of the increase in forest biomass production, particularly in Poland, in the context of global and European Union (EU) climate and energy policy directions. Trends regarding the justification of biomass production in the EU and the world were also analyzed. The study compared the results of public sentiment surveys concerning the use of biomass in Poland as a member state of the European Union. The results are presented in tabular and graphical form. Data were obtained from analyses of social websites, study reports, and information social media in Poland. This study shows an increase in the negative perception of biomass use nationally and globally. It can be concluded that the increasing trend of forest biomass extraction resulted from the growing demand for green energy sources. Changes in European Union policy affected the popularization of biomass production worldwide as a result of growing energy demand. The use of renewable energy sources is necessary to reduce environmental degradation and secure society’s growing energy needs. It is necessary to increase the flow of information about the importance of forest biomass for the environmental aspects of society in order to gain acceptance of the EU’s promoted direction of stable renewable energy.
Predicting Post-Production Biomass Prices
This paper presents the application of prediction in the analysis of market price volatility in Polish conditions of wood processing by-products in the form of biomass. The ARIMA model, which takes into account cyclical, seasonal, irregular fluctuations of historical data on the basis of which the forecast and long-term trends of selected wood products were made, was used in predicting prices. Comparisons were made between the ARIMA prediction method and the multiplicative Winters–Holt model. During the period studied (2017–2022), the changes in the market price of biomass were characterized by a wide spread of values. On average, the price of these products increased from 2017 to the end of 2022 by 125%. The price prediction analysis showed seasonal fluctuations in the case of wood chips. The uncertainty in price prediction is due to changes in supply resulting from the influence of global factors. The Diebold–Mariano test of matching accuracy confirms that the price prediction of the analyzed by-product sorts using the ARIMA and WH models is possible. The conclusion reached by comparing these two methods is that each can be used under certain market conditions of certain assortments. In the case of a stable wood product, the choice of the ARIMA model should be resolved, while in the case of price volatile products, WH will be a better choice. The difference between the predicted and actual price with ARIMA ranged from 2.4% to 11.6% and for WH from 3.7% to 29.8%.
The Role of Human Capital in an Organisation - A Case Study of the ‘State Forests’ National Forest Holding in Poland
Human capital is a key element necessary for the smooth operation of an organization based on sustainable development. It is not only important for building strategy but also affects the performance of day-to-day operations. Managers must constantly monitor the changes taking place around the organization and make quick decisions in line with sustainability. They enable the organization to adapt to current market conditions and meet closed-loop requirements. These solutions are an important issue in forest management organizations. Considering the expanded mission of forests, it is clear that the role of forests today is much broader than just protecting biodiversity. Forestry institutions need adequate staff and human resources to effectively carry out forest management tasks and properly analyze trends and patterns of the sustainable use of forest resources. The purpose of the article was to analyze and evaluate human capital through its commitment to the organization’s tasks within the framework of sustainability. The research involved a sample for employees working in a selected unit of the State Forest Holding in Poland. The research was based on an anonymous employee survey on job engagement. The following aspects were assessed, commitment to the organization, sense of responsibility to the organization, interest in the work, and willingness to make sacrifices for the company in order to meet the demands of a modern forestry company oriented to the requirements of the new forestry strategy. Our reanalysis showed that gender and job type do not have a significant impact on commitment. However, an employee’s age and length of service do influence the behaviour and commitment of state forestry employees.
Fuel use reduction and economic savings from optimization of road transportation of coniferous roundwood
One of the 10 priorities of the Green New Deal is sustainable transportation. It should be considered in the perspective of long-term ecological and economic sustainability, according to the trend of opportunities for sustainable development. The economic and environmental aspects of transportation related to the harvesting and movement of timber play a special role in the energy cost and their environmental impact per distance of raw material supply. The principles of rational and energy-efficient use of transportation equipment play a key role in the movement of raw timber. These are influenced by the availability of timber resources, limitation of vehicle payloads, reduction of energy consumption expressed in terms of reduction of fuel combustion, or current legal and road regulations for timber transportation. The paper evaluates economic and environmental factors in relation to the demand for fuels necessary for the implementation of road transportation of softwood timber. The aim of this paper was to present the current situation of the use of transportation means in the movement of bulky timber, as well as opportunities to optimize fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, affecting the economic and environmental effects. Previous studies on fuel consumption in the transportation of roundwood indicate irrational use of vehicles. This indicates unused payload capacity increasing energy inputs expressed in fuel consumption. It has been empirically investigated that this is the result of improperly approved transport sets adapted to the material being transported. In addition, it was shown that there is a clear correlation between the vehicle payload utilization rate and economic and environmental factors. The results of this study point to the potential to increase the use of transportation vehicles for timber transportation and reduce fuel combustion and CO2 emissions by 7–20%.
Key interpersonal skills of a game warden as part an employee soft skills assessment from a commitment and performance perspective
Abstract The study presents an innovative, proprietary concept of identifying soft skills predisposing individuals to occupy a forestry position, along with the definition and discussion of key factors constituting the assessment criteria. The authors provide their individual perspective on the specific personality traits and attitudes relevant to the assessment of an employee's soft skills concerning their suitability for the given position. Six fundamental categories of skills and attitudes within the realm of soft skills for foresters were identified and proposed for evaluation. These categories included the following: Collaboration and information flow management: This category assessed the ability to effectively collaborate with other company employees and the sense of responsibility for achieving the team's goals. Special attention was paid to how information was communicated, facilitating planning, making changes and executing task effectively. Initiative and engagement: This category focused on the ability and willingness to seek and implement new solutions. It identified and proposed an assessment system for actions such as the forester's submission of new ideas and solutions to emerging problems, their engagement and identification with the company, their drive to improve existing work methods, and their adaptability to new tasks and working conditions resulting from changes. Shaping a positive company image: This category involved evaluating the attitude that leads to dignified and ethical representation of the company through appropriate appearance, behaviour and attitude. It encompassed aspects such as building strong relationships with customers, business partners and the company's environment, making agreements aligned with the company's interests and taking active steps to enhance the positive image of the forestry operation. Collaboration with external entities: This category analysed constructive actions defined as the interaction of the forestry district with external entities aimed at creating a favourable business climate for forestry operations. Independence and decision-making: In this category, competencies for independently managing the Forest District were discussed, without the need for direct supervision. The proposed assessment system considered the traits predisposing the forester to make quick and accurate decisions, anticipate their consequences, take personal responsibility for task execution and accept the consequences of their own or their team's work results. Developing subordinates: The final category analysed teamwork skills, with a particular focus on actions aimed at the systematic development of subordinates, recognising potential, and identifying areas for improvement and providing subordinates with opportunities to gain experience and enhance their qualifications and professional competencies. The assessment of the forester's soft skills in each category was based on a descriptive classification of their behaviour, which was assigned to five groups: unacceptable, below expectations, good, very good and outstanding. An illustrative description of employee behaviour facilitating their classification into one of these groups was developed for each evaluation category. The research results are presented in a Table 1, which shows the identified traits, the system for their identification (specified behaviours subject to assessment) and the assessment system. A rating system based on descriptive indicators was proposed to facilitate a homogeneous and repeatable employee assessment process, which is one of the fundamental elements of human resource management. In today's world, the concept of sustainable development is being replaced by efforts to sustain the system through its regeneration at the economic, social and sociological levels. Therefore, the presented concept of identifying and evaluating soft skills was compared with the principles of management in the Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity (VUCA) environment.
Characterization and Evaluation of the Organizational and Legal Structures of Forestry in the European Union
Achieving organizational efficiency requires the selection of an appropriate operating model. To date, no objective indicators, methods of measuring, or criteria for evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of forest management organizations have been developed. In the heterogeneous forest management of the European Union (EU), multiple objectives and functions—from production to social and ecological services—coexist at regional and national levels. This study provides an overview of the organizational and legal forms of EU forestry, taking into account environmental conditions, ownership structures, and the role of the forestry sector in national economies. The legal information of EU countries on forest management was verified. We examine the impact of the entity’s organizational and legal form on the implementation of sustainable forest management and the objectives of the New EU Forest Strategy 2030, particularly in terms of absorbing external capital for forest protection and climate-related activities. Joint stock companies, public institutions, and enterprises are the most relevant. The private sector is dominated by individual farms, associations, chambers of commerce, and federations. A clear trend toward transforming state-owned enterprises into joint-stock companies and expanding their operational scope has been confirmed. Multifunctional forest management is practiced in both state and private forests. Economic efficiency, legal and property liability, and organizational goals depend on the chosen organizational and legal form.
