IKEA’s longstanding commitment to sustainability is reflected in the sheer number and variety of its environmental and social initiatives, including clean and efficient production, renewable energy generation, chemical safety, circular products designed to be repaired, reused or recycled, and providing and supporting decent and meaningful work for the employees of its suppliers.
IKEA began to carefully consider raw material sourcing, including wood, in 2001. The retailer developed a wood procurement policy, the IWAY Forestry Standard, and set an ambitious goal of sourcing 100% FSC-certified or recycled wood by 2020. By 2018, IKEA was 85% of the way to meeting that goal, driving changes in practice across their global supply chains!
Other remarkable achievements in responsible wood procurement and forest protection include:
- Working in partnership with FSC to make certification more accessible to small forest holders and increase the amount of certified forests;
- Teaming with other leadership companies to create the Value and Impacts Analysis (VIA) project to better evaluate and communicate the impact of FSC;
- Working with World Wildlife Fund across 15 countries on nine different projects to combat illegal logging and promote responsible forestry;
- Purchasing and responsibly managing nearly half a million acres of forested land in various parts of the world through its retail franchise, Ingka Group.
IKEA strives to keep prices for FSC-certified furniture reasonable for customers by becoming more involved in its supply chains, therefore understanding and paying the true cost of certification without paying higher-than-market premiums.
IKEA reports that a key element to fulfilling its responsible wood procurement policy has been setting public long-term goals and deadlines. It recommends that consumers learn more about the various certification systems and labels (such as FSC) to determine which are best aligned with their personal values.
IKEA employees are proud to work at a company that invests so heavily in protecting people and the planet. Outside the company, IKEA has earned the respect of the furnishings industry as well as environmental groups, for its leadership in sustainability. For more, please see a short video IKEA released on becoming Forest Positive by 2020.
Thank you for taking the time to read about IKEA’s dedication to protecting the planet. We hope you will use this information to make more informed choices about your next furniture purchase.