Supply of Wood Biomass in Poland in Terms of Extraordinary Threat and Energy Transition

Abstract

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.

1. Introduction

The problem investigated by the authors is relatively rarely mentioned in the literature. It is a certain innovation in view of the potential conflict between production of wood biomass for energy purposes and the concept of extraordinary threats. Of course, in the literature, you can find studies devoted to separate threads directly related to the topic of this article. The issues of energy justice [1,2,3]; energy transformation [4,5,6,7,8], and renewable energy [9,10,11,12,13] are discussed. Although—as can be seen from the title—this paper refers specifically to Poland, the discussion and conclusions resulting from this research are broader in scope. Problems concerning electricity production in view of extraordinary threats related to the potential use of wood biomass in countries, to which solutions for sustainable development of the energy sector are only starting to be implemented, are not a rare phenomenon on a global scale. Additionally, in countries not generating nuclear energy, the issue of eliminating fossil fuels in the production of electricity currently is and will continue to be an increasingly significant problem in public and political life on an international scale. However, W. Musiał, M. Zioło, L. Luty, and K. Musiał have rightly noted that: “Renewable energy sources (RES) are playing an increasingly important role in the energy supply structure, and certain RES technologies have reached the level of competitiveness similar to technologies based on fossil fuels. The process of gradual transformation from a coal-based economy to an economy using green, low-carbon technologies that meet social needs and ensure energy security not only locally, but also regionally and in the long term, is being initiated by the growing number of EU Member States” [14] (p. 16). Moreover, one should agree with the conclusions of M. Gawrycka and A. Szymczak that: “It should also be noted that the energy transformation generates cross-sector flows on a national and global scale, which may contribute to social inequalities and changes in the labor share, and reflect thereby structural changes in economies” [15] (p. 12).

In view of the complex subject matter of this paper, it was decided to provide an introduction concerning extraordinary threats in relation to sustainable energy development. Such a background is needed to comprehensibly present research results related to the supply of wood biomass and further discuss relationships between the concept of resilience and sustainable energy development using wood biomass.

Thus, it was decided to adopt as the main aim of this study to indicate the potential applicability of the concept of resilience to the system of sustainable energy development through the use of wood biomass. Additionally, three specific aims were established:

• C1: to identify extraordinary threats in the context of sustainable energy development.
• C2: to determine the supply of wood biomass in Poland in terms of individual wood assortments and geographical areas.
• C3: to identify and characterize cause-and-effect relationships between the assumptions of the concept of resilience and sustainable energy development using wood biomass.

The main hypothesis and three detailed hypotheses will be verified in the course of the analysis of literature and empirical studies. The following main hypothesis was proposed: the application of the concept of resilience will enforce the adaptation of production in the group of energy sector enterprises and in forest management in order to promote increased sustainability of energy development. In turn, detailed hypotheses are as follows:

H1: 

There are extraordinary threats to both sustainable energy development and sustainable forest management stem from the same source.

H2: 

Territorial (geographical) distribution of supply and demand for wood biomass is not conducive to sustainable energy development.

H3: 

Six characteristic aspects of foreseeable threats are observed in relation to actual threats and energy transition.

2. The Essence and Assumptions of the Resilience Concept

2.1. Interpretations of the Term “Resilience”

Resilience can be understood as resistance, flexibility, strength, or revitalization. The term was most probably used for the first time in relation to ecology in 1973 by C.S. Holling [16] (pp. 1–23). In his deliberations, he decided to reach outside the traditional approach used in economics, considering balance or equilibrium as an optimal state. He focused on the issue frequently disregarded in conventional discussions, i.e., transitional behaviors of systems that are not in a state of equilibrium. It needs to be remembered that natural, undisturbed systems will probably be permanently in the transitional state, exposed to the simultaneous action of many factors. Together with the increase in population size and growing economic needs, the utilization of resources will push a given population from the state of equilibrium. Additionally, present-day concerns over pollution and endangered species indicate that the global welfare is not sufficiently described, due to the focus on the state of equilibrium or comparable states. When analyzing the classical model of ecological stability by R.M. May [17] (pp. 413–414) and graphical representation of the stability condition by M.L. Rosenzweig [18] (pp. 564–565), as well as the methodology proposed by R.C. Lewontin [19] (pp. 13–24), Holling reached a conclusion that rather than maintaining the state of equilibrium and its stability, it is more important for a system to maintain resilience. A system may be resilient (then it will survive, as is observed in the world of plants and animals), but unstable (the population may increase or decrease). At the same time, Holling admitted that the maintenance of both stability and resilience of ecological systems is affected to a considerable extent by random events. Based on these deliberations, he defined and clearly distinguished two concepts: stability and resilience of a system. Holling interpreted stability as the capacity of a system to return to a state of equilibrium after periodic disturbances. It is the property of a system that the more stable it is, the faster it returns to its original state after temporary fluctuations. In turn, resilience needs to be identified with the stability of relationships within the system and the capacity of that system to absorb changes without altering the system parameters [16] (pp. 1–23). A similar convention has been adopted by other authors when referring to resilience in the macro-, meso-, or microscale. In this study, interpretations were adapted to the macroeconomic scale. In accordance with the assumption adopted after G. Gallopin, resilience may be interpreted as the capacity of a system to cope with changes and adapt to them [20]. Resilience is also the ability of an entity to estimate the degree of threat, realization of mutual relationships, and codependence between business activity, information, and technologies [21]. In relation to regional or local policy, P. Regibeau and K. Rockett defined resilience as the capacity of an economy, society, organization, or entity to effectively return to a state before an unexpected shock [22] (pp. 107–147). The term “unexpected shock” seems to be problematic. Increasingly often in literature on the subject, predictable or partly predictable events are identified [23].

Experts at the World Bank assume that resilience is the capacity of an economy or society to minimize losses in the standard of living in the case of extraordinary threats [24] (pp. 2–3). Threats were also mentioned by C. Perrings, who in 2006 successfully equated resilience to sustainable development. According to that author, resilience is the capacity of a system to cope with disturbances, with no loss of its functionality. It is the ability to sustain market or environmental shocks with no loss of capacity to efficiently allocate resources (functionality of the market and supporting institutions) or provide vital basic services (functionality of the production system) [25] (pp. 417–427).

Thus, the concept of resilience is found in interdisciplinary research covering complex systems, such as countries, enterprises, infrastructure systems, and ecosystems [26]. It is also used in psychology, thanks to the concepts of such authors as E. Werner, N. Garmezy, and M. Rutter [27] (pp. 587–597).

In this paper, we have attempted to adapt the concept of resilience to sustainable energy development through the use of wood biomass. The authors applied a dual (socio-ecological and economic) approach to sustainable energy development, in accordance with the interpretation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In this approach, sustainable energy development is development “which is sustainable and which is supported by the economically profitable, socially conscious and environmentally responsible energy sector with a global, long-term vision” [28]. Such a development needs to be supported through the use of such energy sources, in the case of which [29] (p. 6):

• Further utilization does not have a considerable effect on their depletion.
• Their use does not lead to emissions of pollutants or other environmentally harmful substances hazardous on a considerable scale.
• Their use is not connected with the persistence of health hazards.
• Their use does not contribute to aggravation of social injustice.

These conditions are met by wood biomass, which is used in Poland on an increasingly large scale. M.B. Pietrzak et al., (2021) indicate in the conclusions based on the research carried out with energy market experts that biomass as a solid fuel, apart from solar and wind energy, has the best chance of development in such economies as Poland’s. However, they pointed to the coal lobby as the main reason for the slow development of renewable energy sources [9] (p. 19).

2.2. The Original Concept of Resilience

Considering the sources of the term “resilience”, previous economic interpretations, and the subject matter of this paper, it is proposed to interpret resilience as resistance, flexibility, and capacity to undertake a strategic revitalization (regeneration) of a country when facing sustainable energy development and extraordinary threats.

In such an interpretation, resilience needs to be treated not only as a term but also as a broader concept of the system’s functioning. The most essential component of resilience is resistance, which was defined by T. Bishop and F. Hydoski as “the capacity of an entity to return to a state found before the occurrence of a stress factor” [30] (p. 23). Resistance of an entity may be provided by four interacting elements:

• Estimation of risk—risk factors need to be identified, categorized, and estimated, and an appropriate strategy applied to reduce them needs to be indicated.
• Prevention of risk—appropriate preventive strategies need to be implemented, which are to anticipate and counteract specific risks.
• Detection of irregularities in accordance with previously identified risk areas—e.g., through periodic audits and continuous monitoring.
• Response to irregularities—scenarios of action in cases of irregularities need to be prepared so as to minimize their negative effect on the enterprise.

Flexibility is the second component of the concept of resilience. A broad interpretive analysis of proposals presented by various authors was given by R. Krupski [31] (pp. 15–17). When searching for the results of different concepts, it may be assumed that flexibility is the capacity of an entity (e.g., a country) to adapt to conditions found in its environment. In this case, the term was used on purpose as a synonym of adaptation in view of the common application of the term adaptiveness to describe the discussed phenomenon in literature on the subject written in English [32] (p. 38). Adaptation may be external in character, which consists in the capacity of an organization to influence the environment, or it may be internal, as the introduction of adaptive changes within the organization. The relationship between flexibility and adaptiveness was also distinguished by D. Alberts, who acknowledged that the former provides an opportunity to perform tasks in more than one manner, while the latter facilitates an internal change within an organization in order to better adapt to encountered challenges [33]. Additionally, literature on the subject sometimes contains a similar concept of “coping capacity.” In the opinion of D.M. Upton. the coping capacity refers to the ability of an entity to respond promptly to changes in an uncertain environment and to the capacity to survive thanks to prompt and effective reactions [33] (pp. 74–84). In turn, Q. Zhang (et al.) identified coping capacity with the introduction of changes, rather than responding to them [34] (pp. 173–191). A. Karman also pointed out the differences between the concepts. The author noticed the differences in scope: type of turbulence, character, strategic behaviors, and sources [35].

Flexibility is frequently investigated in the system of organizational subsystems: financial, manufacturing, marketing, and strategic management [36] (p. 22). In this study, flexibility refers to the system of the entire country.

The third element contributing to the concept of resilience is the strategic revitalization of the system. The revitalization process is identified with a strategic change [31] (p. 155). This change requires a new look at the management and organization of the system. On a microscale, it is treated as renewing [37] (p. 49).

An efficient strategic revitalization should bring about not only improved efficiency but also improve the competitive position of the country, strengthening relations with partners, changes in the structure promoting its flexible responsiveness, adaptation of action (processes) to social requirements, development of new skills and key competence, and optimization of the value chain, etc. [38] (p. 97). Thus, there are close relationships between the resilience of the system, its flexibility, and the capacity to undergo strategic revitalization (Figure 1).

Thus, resilience is a multifaceted phenomenon generating feedbacks, which hinders its direct measurement. It seems that indirectly, this phenomenon might be measured using two parameters [39] (pp. 510–549);

• risk—reflecting the type and degree of threat for the functioning of the country,
• positive adaptation—referring to these actions of the state, which indicate it is overcoming problems.

The potential to measure resilience in relation to the concept of sustainable energy development based on the abovementioned parameters to a considerable extent is dependent on predictability and types of threats.

2.3. Characteristics of Extraordinary Threats in Terms of Clinical Economy of J. Sachs

Saving lives is a definite priority in risk management related to extraordinary threats [40]. Other priorities also include, e.g., prevention of negative economic, social, and political consequences, which also have an effect on prosperity. From the economic point of view, an extraordinary threat is an event that causes disturbances in the functioning of an economic system, having a negative effect on assets, factors of production, production itself, employment structure, or consumption. When it occurs, the perturbation affects the economic system in a manner exceeding the immediate loss of assets and financial outlays to replace the damaged property. Additional consequences include loss of production, income and sources of income, rationing in some sectors, and loss of employment and tax receipts.

It is increasingly commonly accepted that most global threats may have been predicted. The term “predictable threat” is understood as “events or a course of events, which take a person or group by surprise despite their having all the information necessary to predict such events and their consequences. Predictable threats occur regularly in all organization, both private and state-owned (…)” [41] (p. 15).

Table 1. Six characteristic features of predictable threats.

No.	Characteristic	Interpretation
1.	Leaders are aware of the problem and of the fact that the problem will not resolve on its own	The problem is known and discussed. Despite leaders’ awareness of the increasing threat, there is no reaction
2.	Leaders know that together with time the problem will become increasingly serious	In contrast to inevitable threats, the problem lies not in the identification of the threat, but in the lack of an adequate reaction
3.	Solution of a pressing problem is connected with incurring high costs at present, whereas benefits resulting from undertaken actions are distant in time	Governments, organizations and people tend to underestimate events, which may occur in the future. Intuition suggests not to spend resources to protect oneself against a hypothetical threat. Neither decision makers nor the public observe tangible benefits from the invested money or time
4.	Facing a predictable threat is connected with incurred costs, while reached benefits, although typically much greater, are uncertain	Persons making decisions on incurring costs are aware that they will be granted relatively little appreciation by the public. In contrast, tangible costs resulting from decisions of politicians will always be recorded by voters, as opposed to disasters and misfortunes avoided in this way. Politicians often decide to keep their fingers crossed and hope for the best instead of undertaking costly actions
5.	Decision-makers and organizations tend to support the status quo, and thus remain unable to prepare to a predictable threat	Until a crisis requiring specific actions occurs, it is always attempted to solve specific matters as it has usually been done. Preventive actions require specific decisions countering prejudice and disturbing the existing status quo. In turn, most organizations change gradually, preferring short-term half measures rather than long-term sustainable solutions. To actually avoid a threat the decision-maker needs to prove that maintenance of the status quo is the worst of all possible solutions
6.	Decision-makers frequently face open opposition to changes preventing threats on the part of minority interest groups	The minority, which voices objections is motivated by their own benefits only and is capable of sabotaging actions needed by the general public.

Source: the authors’ study based on: [42].

presents characteristics of predictable threats.

In the case of a list of characteristics of predictable threats compared to specific threats, it may be concluded that most known threats have been predictable.

In the report published yearly for the last 16 years by the World Economic Forum, The Global Risk Report, in 2021, among the most serious threats facing the world in the next 10 years (according to the probability of their occurrence) are extreme weather events, ranked first (for the fifth year in a row), followed by failure of actions addressing climate change (for the third year in a row), with destruction of the living environment for humans ranking third. They are followed by contagious diseases (which may be explained by the current situation related to the COVID 19 pandemic) and loss of biodiversity [42]. Among the five potentially most serious threats, four result from a lack of sustainable energy development. In the opinion of experts, “climate change will be much more radical and faster than it is expected by many”, while (…) “natural disasters will occur more frequently and will gain in strength” [43]. For several years now, experts have been particularly concerned by the extinction of species, which may be catastrophic for humans. It poses a threat due to the disruption of food and health-care systems, and as a consequence the disruption of entire supply chains. In the report of 2020, attention was also focused on economic conflicts and an “unstable geopolitical scenario”. Without economic and social stability, in view of the nationalistic and unilateral approach, countries may lack resources to face the main global threats. As “a lack of vaccine against the degradation of the environment” and weak public response to several threats (e.g., unsuccessful actions to counter climate change, loss of biodiversity) we may hardly talk of rational actions towards sustainable energy development. Although global CO₂ emissions decreased by 9% in the first half of 2020, when COVID-19 forced most economies to lock down for several weeks, it was not a lasting trend. A similar reduction is required every year for the next 10 years in order to maintain progress in the limitation of global warming to 1.5 °C and avoid the worst consequences of climate change. However, it needs to be remembered that emission levels after the financial crisis of 2008–2009 returned to previous values. Thus, joint efforts are needed to prevent the same situation again, when economies are recovering from the pandemic. Economic growth and emissions have to be separated from production and the risk related to the transition needs to be managed within the framework of urgent evolution towards a low-emission economy. At present, only some countries have prepared recovery packages, which may bring net benefits for the environment. Denmark and Canada have undertaken the greatest efforts to change the orientation of their economies through stimulus packages. Budget expenditure of the European Commission and stimulus packages at the national level in the UK, France, Germany, Finland, Spain, and Sweden also produced very good results. Other more economically developed economies, such as Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Australia, have made some efforts, but failed to attain satisfactory results of this transformation [44]. A lack of actions would inevitably lead to disastrous physical effects and serious economic losses, which would require costly political actions [45].

With no social cohesion or stable international platforms, future transborder crises will produce even graver consequences. This is particularly so, since in the opinion of Nassim Taleb apart from predictable threats in the economy, we also deal with the so-called black swans [46]. Black swans are phenomena characterized by the following features:

• They are unexpected (subjectively rather improbable).
• They have disastrous consequences.
• After some time, it seems that they are predictable and they may be comprehensible.
• They fail to fit in known models.

The last of these characteristics seems to be the most interesting. Researchers frequently tend to describe phenomena using schemes, formulas, and models, in which they try to fit observations to the existing schemes. According to N. Taleb, in this way the model of Mediocristan applies. Analyses are devoted mainly to cases represented most numerously by the Gaussian curve. Extreme values (showing attributes of Extremistan) as a rule are rejected as nonsignificant. What is more, if a black swan even occurs (e.g., the 2008 financial crisis), experts will try to prepare for the same type of threats, failing to identify other types that have not yet materialized (e.g., consequences of climate change). Thus, N. Taleb points to defects of empirical studies, which are rapid on the one hand, but on the other hand are highly emotional, biased, and susceptible to errors. He appreciated the superiority of theoretical research, requiring more effort, but conscious and logical. This refers also to partly predictable threats, whose properties are nevertheless only partially known. He calls these gray swans, and they include, e.g., earthquakes, stock market crashes, or bestsellers.

Summing up, it may be stated that groups of countries, governments, societies, and enterprises face an extraordinary challenge to constantly deal with black swans. Fortunately, there are also gray swans (partly predictable threats) and white swans (predictable threats).

Knowing a significant part of global threats, we may prepare or try to avoid them (

Table 2. Methods to avoid threats in sustainable energy development policy.

Method	Interpretation
Error-free realization of priorities	Leaders of countries define goals so that they are combined with consistently realized tasks. At the same time the results are being measured
Following trust	A low level of trust slows down processes in a country and increases costs. Leaders act so fast that thy sell out or at least keep up with changes occurring in the economic environment
Attaining more with lesser outlays of means	Leaders of countries focus on doing things, which their voters want
Reducing fear	Fear may be caused by an unclear strategy of the state’s actions. Leaders of countries indirectly support the society in overcoming fear and focus on things, which a given person may influence.

Source: the authors’ study based on: [23] (pp. 11–15).

).

A good solution, being a method to avoid the most serious consequences of threats, may be to apply solutions of clinical economics proposed by Jeffrey Sachs. They focus on the identification of complexity and diversity of economic systems and subsystems, discussion of problems within a “family”, rather than individual entities, and controlling and ongoing assessment of the situation by economists observing ethical and professional norms. The potential of clinical economics by J. Sachs is presented in

Table 3. Application of Sachs’s clinical economics in sustainable energy development policy.

No.	Diagnosis	Interpretation
Lesson 1	Economies of countries, similarly as human organisms, are complex systems	All subsystems have to function properly for the entire economy to function well
Lesson 2	Economists, similarly as clinicians, have to master the art of differential diagnosis	Clinical economics should teach a much more effective focusing on hidden causes of threats and recommendations of adequate counter measures, well adapted to specific conditions of each country (descriptive economics). Since similar results may be caused by different causes, this requires application of different recovery tools
Lesson 3	Clinical economics should investigate the recovery within the categories of “family” rather than individual	Recommendations given e.g., by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund may prove to be ineffective if they fail to interact with actions of other countries.
Lesson 4	Effectiveness of actions within clinical economics will depend on control and assessment of the situation	In the case of clinical economics it is crucial to conduct an insightful comparison of goals and results. If goals are not reached, it is important to ask “Why?” rather than search for excuses to previously given advice
Lesson 5	Economists should observe strict ethical and professional norms	The work of economists is not undertaken responsibly. It is frequently superficial. The economist when investigating economic problems should also consider history, ethnography and politics of a given region. Economists should be truthful, even if the solution to the problem lies outside the investigated entity

Source: the authors’ study based on: [47] (pp. 86–94).

.

For this reason, it is necessary to leap into the future, i.e., prediction, prevention of predictable threats, and black swans, applying the approach characteristic of clinical economics. This may be promoted by the adoption of the concept of sustainable energy development, proposed by the World Economic Forum (Figure 2).

Sustainable energy development should be based on a rapid development of generating capacity of renewable energy sources, and it needs to be accompanied by strengthening of the grid infrastructure, energy efficiency, and flexibility of the system. Increased investments, both in renewable technologies and the associated infrastructure, will bring about a shift in the society exceeding greatly the impact of initial investments. The decision to implement changes will create more jobs and will generate a greater annual GDP increase. These new paths will also lead to a reduction of air pollution, waste of water, and greenhouse gas emissions. Thus, granting the public the access to sustainable energy will inevitably lead to a safer socioeconomic future.

2.4. Extraordinary Threats and Wood Biomass

The abovementioned observations may be confirmed, e.g., by international treaties, such as the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris Agreement (2016), which established global directives aimed at the gradual replacement of fossil fuels with pure and renewable energy [46], including biomass. A key aspect for the market of biomass as an energy source is connected with the fact that the European Commission, as one of the priorities for action for the years 2019–2024, assumed the execution of the European Green Deal. It is a package of legislative measures aimed at the adaptation of the EU climate, energy, transport, and tax policies in order to attain a goal, which is to cut down net greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum 55% by 2030 in relation to the level of 1990. It is essential here that bioenergy is a substitute of fossil fuels, which is almost neutral in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (without taking into account the indirect land-use change caused by the supply of bioenergy) [49] (pp. 299–318), which indicates its increased importance in the realized energy transformation. Development of renewable technologies, including those connected with biofuels (biomass), is of paramount importance in the search for alternatives to fossil fuels. It needs to be remembered that biofuels have the potential to reduce the production of energy based on fossil fuels and net emissions [50,51]; however, growing demand for biofuels may cause greater greenhouse gas emissions through changes in land use [52,53]. Moreover, production of biofuels may also lead to a loss of biodiversity through direct or indirect translocation of habitats and other ecologically valuable lands [54,55]. To ensure decreases in greenhouse gas emissions, prevent loss of biodiversity, and avoid other negative consequences for the environment, it is necessary to consider criteria of sustainable development [56]. The current political trend takes into consideration that the use of very large amounts of biomass to produce energy [57] indicates the importance of forest biomass, which is generated in the eco-friendly, non-profit-oriented process of timber production and does not require special changes in land use.

Biomass may be defined as living material originating from plants, animals, and microorganisms (including algae and fungi), which are found in different environments throughout the globe. In the case of terrestrial plants, biomass may be divided into two components: woody and non-woody materials [58]. It needs to be mentioned here that estimates [59,60] indicate that wood accounts for approximately 80% of the biomass to be used for energy production. In Poland, in accordance with the definition introduced in 2019 by the legislator in the act of 16 July 2020 amending the act on renewable energy sources, fuel wood is defined as: (i) wood material other than sawn wood and machined wood constituting long logs, sawn and machined logs, and not being wood material formed as a result of grinding of this wood material; (ii) by-products generated as a result of processing of the wood raw material, not contaminated with substances not naturally found in wood; (iii) waste resulting from processing of the wood raw material, not contaminated with substances not naturally found in wood, managed in accordance with the waste-management hierarchy.

The division shown above clearly indicates that there are three basic source of wood, which may be used as biomass for energy purposes. One of them is the wood material obtained directly from forests. It is this source of biomass that constitutes the subject of detailed discussions presented in this paper. In order to establish how much wood may be used for energy generation, the starting point is to determine the biomass of trees and decide which parts of trees are going to be used to generate energy. Studies on the amount of pine biomass showed that branches and tops of trees at cutting age account for approximately 13% of the total biomass of those trees [61]. For energy-generation purposes, it is also feasible to use a portion of round wood and branches, treetops, and underground biomass, accounting for approximately 18–20% of the total mass of a pine [62]. However, the underground part of the tree is very rarely utilized, due to the high cost of its harvesting. Although theoretically any type of wood material may be used for energy purposes, in practice only some wood assortments are utilized for energy generation. The use of a given material for energy purposes was specifically defined in Resolution no. 24 of the Director General of the State Forests, indicating wood assortments proper for the biomass market passed on 27 April 2021. As a result, companies use medium-sized general purpose wood types S2AP (general purpose medium-sized stacked timber) and M2E (wood residues), while in the retail market the assortments used are S4 (medium-sized stack wood for fuel purposes) and M2 (small firewood). These assortments are jointly referred to as forest biomass. It is also significant that in accordance with the Act of 28 September 1991 on forests, the forest district manager runs their independent forest management operations in the forest district based on the forest management plan and is responsible for the condition of the forest, while his or her work is initiated, coordinated, and supervised by the regional director. As a result, although forest management in Poland is run based on cohesive legislative foundations, freedom is allowed in the execution of marketing tasks, which in turn is manifested in various policies of supplying timber, including forest biomass, in individual regions of the country. This diverse policy may result in varying availability of forest biomass in geographical terms. Another limitation related to the production of forest biomass is connected with the fact that forest production is generated first of all by the recreation forces of nature rather than manufacturing capacity of humans; thus, similarly to agriculture, the type (tree species) and volume of production may not be determined solely by market needs. Natural diversity affects not only the timber production capacity but also the type and quality of the obtained product (raw material). Moreover, in Poland we may observe varied forest cover, which obviously affects local markets of forest biomass. The greatest forest cover (49.3%) is found in the Lubuskie province, while it is lowest (21.5%) in the Łódzkie province.

Most timber harvested in Poland, including forest biomass, comes from the State Forests National Forest Holding. The supply policy of the holding is based on the sale of wood loco forest, which means that the buyer has to organize their own transport of wood to the processing plant. It results from a study by Czyzyk and Porter [63] that timber buyers if possible prefer supplies of wood from the closest locations. Thus, in view of the subject matter of this study, the geographical distribution of potential forest biomass buyers is essential. The distribution of installed capacities of power plants using renewable resources in terms of the geographical division of Polish provinces shows considerable spatial differences. To a great extent, it is the consequence of conducive characteristics of these areas, i.e., the distribution of advantageous aerodynamic conditions in the country and hydropower resources [64,65,66], as well as availability of biofuels, including forest biomass. These considerable regional discrepancies in the distribution of power plants using renewable energy sources have also been affected by the policy of local governments and their determination to construct their own energy sources or the search for and commitment of foreign or national investors to operate such an enterprise in a given commune.

3. Materials and Methods

When designing the research process, the authors focused particularly on a selection of sources and research methods that would eliminate possibly the highest number of errors that may have appeared [67]. The research process was divided into three main stages: (1) identification of extraordinary threats in the context of sustainable energy development, which constitutes the scope of the first detailed aim; this stage was executed based on literature studies and personal experience of the authors; it was realized in the Introduction; (2) analysis of wood biomass in Poland in terms of individual assortments and geographical regions indicating the distribution of power generating enterprises; this stage is related to the realization of the second detailed objective; it is being realized within the framework of presentation of the research results; and (3) identification of cause-and-effect relationships between the assumptions of the concept of resilience and sustainable energy development using wood biomass; this stage is related to the third detailed aim; it is realized within the Discussion of results.

Assuming the general division of research methods into theoretical and empirical, the authors for the purpose of this study applied the following methods:

• from the category of theoretical methods—reductive reasoning;
• from the category of empirical methods—the method of scientific observations and the method of document analysis.

The application of the theoretical method provides, among other things [68]: analytical investigation and description of the empirical material, as well as verification of assumed hypotheses. The empirical material was collected first of all thanks to the application of the scientific observation method, which is the basic method to collect research material for description and classification purposes. Additionally, it promotes contacts with the analyzed community [69]. Observations were direct, passive, natural, periodic, individual, and nonstandardized. Moreover, the document analysis method was also used. The applied research technique included observations, qualitative analysis, and comparative analysis, with the observation sheet being the research tool.

In view of the research object, the material for analyses was collected in the course of the following activities:

• power plants and heat and power-generating plants burning biomass were identified along with newly initiated investments related to the construction of biomass combustion installations;
• spatial distribution of identified objects was determined in relation to the administrative divisions of Poland in accordance with the divisions into regional directorates of the State Forests National Forest Holding;
• an inquiry was sent requesting trade information on the harvested forest biomass as specified in Resolution no. 24 of the Director General of the State Forests of 27 April 2021 indicating wood assortments appropriate for the biomass market;
• obtained information was catalogued according to respective wood assortments;
• the determined volume of biomass was presented in the spatial (geographical) system.

In order to facilitate the process of data analysis, an observation report form was prepared for the problems observed by the authors during their visits to the State Forests National Forest Holding units. Additionally, after the visits a working report was prepared to record the information more effectively. The intention of the authors was to ensure purposeful selection of the investigated object to collect data on the supply of wood biomass in Poland. Wood biomass is produced by forest management entities. In the case of Poland, the State Forests National Forest Holding has a unique monopoly in this respect, and for this reason it was selected for the collection of primary data.

4. Results

Fossil fuels are still the basic energy material worldwide, providing as much as 85.5% (oil 34.2%, coal 27.6%, and natural gas 23.4%). In the total energy balance, nuclear energy accounts for 4.4%, while energy from renewable sources constitutes 10.4%. Globally, 6.8% of energy comes from hydropower, more specifically from the utilization of gravitational energy of water and this corresponds to 65.4% generated from renewable sources [70]. Next to water, biomass is one of the most commonly used renewable energy sources on the global scale. In 2019 in Poland, the most important fuel used to generate electricity was hard coal, accounting for 46.7%, and lignite, at 25.4%. The share of these fuels in energy production decreased from 2010 by 14.5 percentage points. Production of energy from renewable sources constituted 15.5% and increased by 8.6 pp compared to 2010. In this group, the most important carriers included wind, as well as biomass and biogas. Solar energy had the smallest share, but it was characterized by the greatest growth dynamics [71]. In the production of electricity, biomass is exceeded only by installations using wind energy. Generation of energy from renewable energy sources, including the use of biomass, has been gaining in importance from year to year. Biomass is particularly essential in the heat generation sector. According to the data presented by EurObserv’ER, the distribution between various sectors for energy from renewable sources is changing little, and biomass remains the dominant renewable source of heat (78.6% of the total amount in 2017), which accounts for 80.3 Mtoe of consumption. Until recently, most installations powered by this raw material were operating in the professional power sector, while at present biomass is becoming an increasingly desirable fuel for the heat energy sector specializing in the use of biomass. Throughout Poland, heat generating enterprises, when faced with the need to modernize and adapt their boiler plants to currently binding regulations concerning emissions and the share of renewable energy sources in heat production, frequently choose biomass as the most advantageous fuel both economically and ecologically. Still, in 2010 the installed power of biomass-fired installations in Poland was not significant and amounted to 356,190 MW. At the end of 2020, it was already 1,512,885 MW. Thus, within a decade it increased almost fivefold.

A significant aspect in the production of energy from biomass is connected with the availability of the raw material. Within the research process, the volume of forest biomass harvested in 2020 in the State Forests was quantified. It was found that in the analyzed year, the administrative units of the State Forests obtained 1,021,312 m³ raw material classified as biomass, of which assortment M2E accounted for almost 80%. It was shown that the level of forest biomass acquisition varies in individual State Forest directorates. The greatest amount of forest biomass was harvested in the Regional Directorate in Toruniu at 215,354 m³ (21%) and in the Regional Directorate in Piła at 111,520 m³ (11%). A similar level of forest biomass harvesting was recorded in the Regional Directorates in Białystok, Szczecinek, and Zielona Góra (approximately 8%). In the Regional Directorates in Kraków and Krosno the amount of harvested forest biomass was very small (biomass harvested in those directorates did not exceed 1% share of total biomass) (Figure 3).

At this point, it is worth presenting a broader background on the consumption of wood biomass, referring to earlier periods.

Between 2004 and 2020, the annual consumption of woody biomass for energy production in Poland increased by 9.5 million m³ (69%) from 13.8 million m³ to 23.4 million m³. This increase was driven almost entirely by increasing consumption in the energy sector (up 13,852% from 35 thousand m³ in 2004 to 4.9 million m³ in 2020) and the wood and paper industry (up 2980% from 164 thousand m³ in 2004 to 4.9 million m³ in 2020). In 2004, woody biomass consumption for energy production in these two sectors was negligible. In 2020, the energy and wood industries already accounted for 21% and 22% of the total woody biomass consumption for energy production in Poland. Households had the largest share in woody biomass consumption in the whole period from 2004 to 2020, with consumption remaining at a similar level (between 10.6 and 12.3 million m³) and reaching 11 million m³ in 2020. Woody biomass consumption in agriculture also stayed at an equivalent level (between 2 million m³ and 2.5 million m³), going to 2.1 million m³ in 2020. In 2019, woody biomass combustion was responsible for 52% of primary energy consumption from RES and 5% of total immediate energy consumption in Poland. The amount of woody biomass for energy production from domestic sources increased by 47.6% between 2006 and 2019 (from 14.3 million m³ to 21.16 million m³). In 2019. In sum, 86% (19.7 million m³) of woody biomass used for energy production came from domestic resources. The primary domestic sources of woody biomass are forestry and the wood and paper industry. From 2018 to 2020, Polish forests harvested about 7.5 million m³ per year of wood sorts used for energy production, which accounted for 17–18% of the total wood harvest [72].

Based on data from the Energy Regulatory Office, it was established that at present (2021) in Poland, there are 32 installations co-firing biomass or biogas. Biomass alone is combusted in 55 installations. In the course of the study, it was determined that 17 power plants burning biomass and 26 heat and power generating plants have a significant effect on the supply of biomass. Moreover, within this study, investments associated with the construction of installations processing forest biomass were identified, and it was found that at present in Poland in different locations, a total of 14 new installations burning biomass are either under construction or are planned to be built (Figure 4).

Based on the conducted analyses, it was found that the geographical distribution of installations burning biomass in Poland is far from uniform. The largest number of plants processing biomass are located in the Regional Directorate of the State Forests in Białystok. In that area, there are seven enterprises processing biomass. Additionally, within the boundaries of that directorate, another four installations are planned to be constructed. As a result, in the nearesuture, there will be at least 11 enterprises using biomass to produce energy. In the area administered by the Regional Directorate in Olsztyn, there are five, while in each of the Directorates in Katowice and Łódź there are four enterprises processing biomass. It needs to be stressed here that in the area administered by the Regional Directorate in Toruń, where a record high harvesting of forest biomass was recorded, there are only three biomass-fired installations. The same number of enterprises was found in the regions administered by the Directorates in Szczecin, Poznań, Wrocław, and Gdańsk. It is striking that in the Regional Directorate of the State Forests in Szczecinek, where harvested forest biomass amounted to over 82 thousand m³, there are no major plants processing biomass for energy purposes and no initiated or planned investments connected with the construction of any installation processing biomass.

These results suggest that the location of enterprises using wood biomass for energy generation processes is not adapted to the potential for its harvesting. Thus, the geographical distribution of supply and demand for forest biomass does not promote sustainable energy development and requires investments, such as the construction of new installations burning, among other things, forest biomass (the authors also see the potential use of agricultural biomass (straw, grass) to produce energy; however, in view of the subject and scope of this paper, this aspect will not be discussed) to produce electricity and/or heat.

Biomass is a source of energy that has been used since the beginning of mankind. World resources of biomass are estimated at 44 * 1010 EJ, of which only 1/6 of this value is used. The share of energy obtained from biomass currently accounts for approximately 15% of global consumption, but this indicator is higher in the case of developing countries (it amounts to approximately 38% of total energy production there). Importantly, also on a European scale, biomass not only plays an important role as a renewable energy source but also has the greatest development potential in the medium and long term. The greatest advantage of this renewable energy source, which affects its popularity, is its availability (these resources are estimated to be the largest in the world). There are no special restrictions on the occurrence of biomass, because various types of organic matter can be found practically all over the world. At the same time, it should be emphasized that the bioenergy used for the production of process heat for industry and low-temperature heat (92%) dominates in the structure of energy use of biomass in the EU [73].

In Poland, despite the fact that year by year, the total installed capacity of renewable energy sources is increasing (at the end of December 2020, it was 12.5 GW), biomass and biogas power plants are only fourth and fifth, immediately behind wind farms (6401.9 MW), photovoltaics (3960 MW), and hydropower plants (974.1 MW). In the case of biomass plants, the installed capacity is 906.7 MW, while in the case of biogas plants, the installed capacity is 247.7 MW. Thus, the share of biomass in the RES capacity structure in 2020 was only 7%, while that of biogas was 2% [74].

5. Discussion

The authors are fully aware that the conducted empirical research covers only the territory of Poland. However, due to the very different organization of the forest management in particular countries, and most of all legal and natural conditions, applying the outcome to other countries or the direct transfer of the results is unreasonable and would be flawed in many aspects. The goal of the authors was to take a broader view, first of all, on the concept of extraordinary threat in the production of electrical energy, with particular emphasis on economies based on fossil energy sources. According to the approach of this study, the results of the empirical research form the background to wider and also universal insights relating to the group of countries which face the need for energy transformation.

The discussion presented so far and the results of empirical studies indicate connections between the concept of resilience and sustainable energy development using forest biomass. In order to prove this assumption, first key elements of the concept of resilience will be applied to the contemporary challenges faced by the energy sector (production of energy) and forest management (

Table 4. Resilience and challenges to energy and forest sectors.

Components of the Concept of Resilience	Relationship between Challenges in:
	The Energy Sector	The Forest Sector
Resistance	Resistance as the capacity of economies to generate energy in a manner which does not aggravate adverse climate change.	Resistance as a capacity of economies to increase the level of biodiversity of forests and increase forest cover.
Flexibility	Flexibility as a capacity of economies to adopt the energy sector to conditions found in the environment in order to reduce the adverse environmental impact.	Flexibility as a capacity of economies to adopt forest management units to natural (original) natural conditions aiming at increasing biodiversity and forest cover.
Capacity of strategic revitalization	Revitalization as a capacity of strategic change aimed at an increase in competitiveness of the energy sector in order to adapt to proecological actions and public expectations.	Revitalization as a capacity of strategic change aimed at increased efficiency of forest management within adaptation to pro-environmental actions and public expectations.

Source: the authors’ study.

) as a starting point for the identification and characteristics of cause-and-effect relationships between the assumptions of the concept of resilience and sustainable energy development using forest biomass.

The information contained in Table 4 indicates the potential to refer the concept of resilience for both the energy and forest sectors. It needs to be assumed that relationships occur between these sectors, while extraordinary threats exert an additional impulse.

The applicability of the concept of resilience based on measures to the system of sustainable energy development with the use of forest biomass as a multifaceted phenomenon is dependent on the predictability and types of threats appearing. In this respect, five key extraordinary threats have been identified:

• Extreme weather phenomena.
• Unsuccessful actions to mitigate climate change.
• Damage to the human living environment.
• Contagious diseases.
• Loss of biodiversity.

The current energy management system, which may not be considered sustainable, is directly connected with the abovementioned extraordinary threats. These threats have a direct or indirect effect on the forest sector, which thanks to its products, including forest biomass, may have a positive impact on improvement of sustainable energy development.

A lack of sustainable energy development in relation to the key extraordinary threats in as many as four cases has a direct impact (Figure 5). However, these relationships are mutual, also in terms of the extraordinary threats—forest section loop. It is essential to be able to react within the concept of resilience in terms of the use of forest biomass to changes in the power sector system towards sustainable energy development, as presented in the schematic form in Figure 5.

When analyzing Figure 5, bilateral, direct relationships are evident between extraordinary threats and the system of sustainable energy development in relation to extreme weather phenomena, unsuccessful actions to mitigate climate change, the human living environment, which promotes the spread of lifestyle diseases, and loss of biodiversity. An indirect relationship takes place in the case of an extraordinary threat, which are contagious diseases, such as the still very active COVID-19. The relationship in this case is a result of the polluted environment in which people live. The negative effect of the energy sector producing high emission levels on the human living environment is reflected in the immunity of people and susceptibility to lifestyle diseases leading to reduced immunity and a more serious course of contagious diseases. On the other hand, the pandemic reduces demand for energy and in certain periods of time promotes limitation of the negative environmental impact of the energy industry. By analogy, we may interpret relationships between extraordinary threats and the forest sector. Here, the COVID-19 pandemic promoted public awareness of forest, as a natural human environment, safe and free from contagious diseases. As a result, awareness of the functions of forests has been reinforced, along with their importance in the aggravation and limitation of the other extraordinary threats. Figure 5 presents not only the cause-and-effect relationships of the idea of resilience in relation to sustainable energy development and the forest sector but further indicates potential applicability of this concept to the impact on the system of sustainable energy development using forest biomass. Effectiveness of the indicated relationship depends, among other things, on economic conditions. Conducted studies have confirmed the lack of geographical adaptation between supply and demand for forest biomass.

The presented extraordinary threats and their relationship with the energy sector are not surprising. This problem and mutual dependence have been indicated by conservationist groups and ecological activists, which is in line with the opinion that most global threats may be predicted. In the opinion of the authors, six characteristic features of predictable threats presented in Table 1 are manifested in practice in numerous countries in relation to current threats and energy transition.

Table 5. Six characteristic features of predictable threats and threats concerning energy transition.

No.	Characteristics	Reference of the Characteristic to Current Threats and Energy Transition
1.	Leaders are aware of the problem and realize that the problem will not resolve on its own	Presidents, prime ministers and ministers responsible for the economy and the environment publicly express opinions indicating that they are aware of the need to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources; they acknowledge climate change and the effect of high-emission technologies of electricity production on climate change. Moreover, election campaigns and political agendas increasingly often contain direct calls for environmental (climate) protection through actions addressing changes in electricity production technologies.
2.	Leaders know that with time the problem will become increasingly serious	Climate change is increasingly evident and destructive weather events affect areas, in which they were absent before; Elimination of consequences of rapid weather changes involves increasing funds from the state budgets; Growing social polarization: increased environmental awareness vs. Negation of the effect of CO2 emissions on climate change.
3.	Solution to the pressing problem is connected with incurring high costs at present, while benefits from these actions are distant in time	Growing fees for CO2 emissions, which is reflected in increasingly expensive electricity generated from fossil fuels; Transition from the production of energy from fossil fuels to renewable sources is connected with high social and investment (economic) costs; The process of changes in energy production is extended in time and climate benefits are uncertain and to a considerable extent dependent on the global approach to change (moral standards of leaders of numerous small and medium countries are weakened by non-ecological decisions of large countries (China, Russia, Brazil, USA).
4.	Addressing a predictable threat is connected with incurring costs, while attained benefits, although typically much greater, are far from certain	Promotion of transition of households to renewable energy sources requires financial incentives (co-financing, tax deductions); Political costs are hardly predictable (most frequently negative, since they are connected with closure of mines, power plants, etc., which causes negative reactions of specific stakeholders); Social benefits of the transition to renewable energy sources are obvious, but they are not manifested in terms of political capital, since negative social consequences are experienced within a short time frame, while potential benefits are long-term, when another political party may be in power.
5.	Decision-makers and organizations tend to sustain the status quo, and thus strengthen the inability to prepare for the occurrence of a predictable threat	decision-makers, although aware of threats and the need for change, sometimes even against logic not only support the current status quo, but even strive to increase negative phenomena, e.g., in Poland the construction of a new power plant to produce electricity from coal was initiated; decision-makers decline to promote green energy through changes in legal regulations, which are disadvantageous for the public, e.g., planned adverse changes in payments for photovoltaic energy for households in Poland.
6.	Decision-makers frequently meet with open protests against changes preventing threats by minority groups of interests	pressure on the authorities from miners’ trade unions; social groups in regions for decades based on coal (lignite mines and nearby power plants, coal mines) facing job losses oppose even potential future decisions of authorities; conflicts with decision-makers may be international, e.g., the Czech-Polish conflict in relation with the negative impact of lignite mines on groundwater levels in Czechia.

Source: the authors’ study based on information from Table 2.

provides an analysis in this respect, focusing on Poland.

Decisions to mitigate climate change, including transition from fossil fuels for economies depending on energy from coal, gas, and oil, are politically difficult (Table 5); they also cause outbursts among the public, which is increasingly more aware of climate change threats, but is not willing to incur additional costs in this respect and to change their long-term habits. The theory resulting from the concept of resilience seems to be some kind of a solution to execute sustainable energy development, among other things by the use of forest biomass.

Finding an effective solution is important, because the supply of primary wood as a material and energy has increased in recent years in EU countries. The balance of wood resources shows that the domestic supply of primary wood increased by 18%, from 442 Mm³ in 2009 to 522 Mm³ in 2015. It should be noted, however, that the demand for wood for material was periodically low in 2009, after the financial crisis of 2007–2008 and the economic crisis that followed. Thus, as the recovery began, the demand and supply of timber increased. Part of this increase may also be due to the increasing intensity and frequency of natural disturbances [75]. Potential threats may also be land-use change due to deforestation and damage to forest biomass due to pest infestation.

It is estimated that in Europe in the years 1950–2000, an annual average of 35 million m³ of wood, which accounts for 8.1% of the total logging, was destroyed mainly by storms and beetle bark with high variability between years [76] and between countries. In 2018, this figure was over 100 million m³ in 17 member states. Thus, natural disruptions in Europe have increased in the last 40 years, especially in the first decade of the 21st century (insect appearances + 602%, fires + 231%, and storms + 140% compared to 1971–1980) [77], and it is expected that that natural disturbances will be more frequent and intense due to future climate change [78].

In many EU countries, it is compulsory practice to remove a damaged tree after disturbance to minimize losses and to prevent the spread of pests and diseases to the remaining forest (e.g., bark beetles). In the event of a large-scale disturbance, salvage harvesting produces a significant amount of wood with different properties (damaged, infected, rotten, broken, split) in a very short time on the market. Damaged wood is usually used to make energy, wood pulp, and wood-based panels. An increased supply of wood biomass can in a short time disrupt the market, lowering wood prices and changing wood-biomass flows into energy. For example, in the Czech Republic, timber prices fell to a quarter in response to the massive 2018 bark beetle outbreak compared to the average timber price in 2011–2017 [79].

Natural disturbances caused mainly by wind and insects followed by rescue logging increased in 2011–2019, especially in Central Europe, confirming the growing trend of extraordinary threats [80]. In the 17 member states analyzed in the European Commission report, 2018 saw an increase in recovered wood extraction by 138% compared to 2014, from 44.5 million m³ to 106 million m³, respectively, bringing significant amounts of biomass timber on the market [75].

Diseases are another group of threats affecting the woody biomass market, such as the COVID 19 pandemic, resulting in the period of general closure of industries in 2020. Availability of PPE, long-term supply contracts, and established safety cultures are factors that increase supply-chain resilience, while limited availability of skilled workers, insufficient stakeholder engagement, and dependence on external policies are factors that reduce resilience [81]. Avoiding foreseeable risks (Table 5) from the concept of resilience and sustainable energy development provides opportunities to contribute to post-pandemic recovery while encouraging better forest resource management [82].

6. Conclusions

The conducted studies made it possible to realize the assumed aims and provide a positive verification of both the main hypothesis and the detailed hypotheses. It was shown that the concept of resilience may be applied to the system of sustainable energy development through the use of forest biomass. The application of the concept of resilience in the opinion of the authors will enforce adaptation of production in the group of energy producers and in the forest sector to increase the degree of realization of sustainable energy development. This will be feasible thanks to the use of forest biomass as a raw energy material. Moreover, in view of the conducted study, the most important conclusions include:

• The concept of resilience is universal in character, which makes it possible to apply it in relation to the system of sustainable energy development using wood biomass.
• The proposed adaptation of the concept of resilience is based on three pillars: resistance, flexibility, and capacity of strategic revitalization (regeneration) of a country, in terms of sustainable energy development and extraordinary threats.
• Based on the theory proposed by M.H. Bazerman and M.D. Watkins, six characteristic features of predictable threats were identified, which may apply to the energy transition of a country.
• The presented concepts included the most important threats on the global scale in the next 10 years, presented in The Global Risk Report in 2021, including extreme weather phenomena, unsuccessful actions to mitigate climate change, damage to the human living environment, contagious diseases and loss of biodiversity.
• Five key extraordinary threats (extreme weather phenomena, failure of actions to mitigate climate change, pollution in the human living environment, contagious diseases, loss of biodiversity) affect both the system of sustainable energy development and the forest sector, and these relationships are mutual.
• Production of forest biomass is in line with the contemporary assumptions of rational forest management and promote the realization of sustainable energy development, which is attained within the concept of resilience.

The authors see the need to conduct further studies devoted to by-products and waste generation by the processing of timber as an alternative to fossil fuels, the use of which may be included in the concept of resilience to ensure sustainable energy development.