None of the potential Covid-19 scenarios, such as the gradual end of the novel coronavirus outbreak or a return of the pandemic, are favourable for economic processes, including the forest industry, said Edgars Vaikulis, a board member of SIA "Rīgas meži".

Speaking about future challenges for the forest industry, Vaikulis mentioned that Latvian forest sector entrepreneurs will need to adapt to new European Union (EU) policies and strategies in the environmental field.

In his opinion, the novel coronavirus pandemic is not the most appropriate time to implement new policies and strategies in the environmental field, but industry representatives will have to adapt to the new rules of the game. "Unfortunately, this is of little interest to those driving the European Green Deal initiatives, so forest-unfriendly 'green courses' or biodiversity strategies will sooner or later become an inevitability," he added.