IKEA furniture is destroying some of Europe’s last remaining ancient forests, according to a Greenpeace investigation.
Furniture manufacturers for the Swedish brand are sourcing wood from some of Europe’s last old-growth forests in the Romanian Carpathians, including in protected areas, their report has found.
This area is home to the largest European populations of brown bears, wolves and lynxes, as well as more than a third of all European plant species, and has survived unchanged since the end of the ice age.
But the investigation found that seven manufacturers producing IKEA’s all-time favourite products are linked to the destruction of these forests.
This includes the popular INGOLF chairs, and SNIGLAR baby cribs and beds for children.
The investigation found that seven manufacturers producing IKEA’s all-time favourite products are linked to the destruction of these forests. This includes the popular INGOLF chairs, and SNIGLAR baby cribs (pictured) and beds for children
Furniture manufacturers for the Swedish brand are sourcing wood from some of Europe’s last old-growth forests in the Romanian Carpathians, including in protected areas, their report has found
At least 30 different products from these suppliers were found in IKEA stores in 13 countries including France, Germany and the UK.
Investigation teams followed the supply chain by analysing permits and satellite imagery of logging sites in the forests in Romania to wood depots and furniture manufacturers, to where those products end up – on the shelves of IKEA stores.
Several manufacturers were found to be sourcing wood from high conservation value forests.
Based on publicly available information, IKEA is the biggest customer of products manufactured by most of those companies, implying a high likelihood that the problematic wood is ending up in IKEA furniture, Greenpeace said.
The Romanian Carpathians are home to the largest European populations of brown bears, wolves and lynxes, as well as more than a third of all European plant species, and has survived unchanged since the end of the ice age
At least 30 different products from these suppliers were found in IKEA stores in 13 countries including France, Germany and the UK. Pictured: the popular INGOLF chairs
Robert Cyglicki, Biodiversity Campaign Director at Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe, said: ‘Our nature heritage must not be turned into hangers or pieces of furniture.
‘Old forests are vital to the planet’s health and must be immediately protected. IKEA must live up to its own sustainability promises and clean up its supply chain from old-growth forest destruction.’
A spokesman for IKEA said: ‘We are currently going through the Greenpeace report in detail. We welcome a transparent dialogue and look forward to discussing the matter further once we have had a chance to read the full report.
‘We take information about the risk of violation of internal and external forestry requirements very seriously. Illegal wood and bad forestry practices have no place in the IKEA value chain.
‘Any indication of this is immediately investigated. If we discover irregularities, we take immediate action, including terminating business relationships.’
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
