Ikea’s green credentials have been called into question after new images showed large swathes of company-owned forests reduced to “moonscapes”.
The flat furniture manufacturer has boldly stated its aspirations to “transform” the forestry industry. From establishing biodiversity parks in India to grilling the Polish government over its withdrawal from a global sustainability convention, Ikea has been eager to boast about its positive impact on the world.
But images released by Danmarks Radio, a Danish public broadcaster, show large tracts of land across Romania owned by the corporation desecrated by human intervention.
Huge scars caused by large machine tracks can be seen at all five Ikea-owned sites, while at each site freshly felled trees were seen with little or no vegetation growing in their place.
“It is completely outside what is called sustainable forestry in 2024,” Jacob Heilmann-Clausen, a biodiversity expert at the University of Copenhagen, told the creators of Ikea Loves Wood, a documentary investigating the company’s alleged practices.
One of the key issues raised in the documentary was the alleged practice of cutting down entire parts of a forest.
This left no ‘habitat trees’ for wildlife to live in, or it would simply comply with Romanian law which states that only one tree per hectare must be left alone.
“This is similar to the old forestry of third world countries, where a resource is ruthlessly extracted,” said Heilmann-Clausen.
Images released by Danmarks Radio, a Danish public broadcaster, show large tracts of land across Romania owned by the corporation desecrated by human intervention.
Huge scars caused by large machine footprints can be seen at all five Ikea-owned locations
Freshly felled trees were observed at each site with little or no vegetation growing in their place.
Ingka, who operates the forests on behalf of Ikea, told MailOnline in a statement that he denied mass felling of trees, adding that he was not only replanting felled trees but was also increasing existing tree populations.
He also said he would leave habitat trees at a landscape level, rather than on an acre-by-acre basis.
The group claimed that the documentary relied on “selective narratives” and had omitted “critical facts.”
He added that 18 independent audits this year had confirmed that it complied with Romanian law.
“The density of our forests in Romania has increased by more than 1 million cubic meters since 2016 due to our responsible forest management practices in the country,” a spokesperson said.
“Our forests in Romania are among the most rigorously audited in the country.”
‘The claim of “lunar landscapes” based on selective drone images misrepresents the situation on the ground. Take Tibau as an example: the logging seen in this area was carried out by the previous owner, not Ingka Investments/IKEA.
‘Since we acquired the land (2015), we have restored its ecological functionality by planting more than 60 hectares, ensuring long-term forest health and biodiversity.
“We remain deeply committed to our mission to protect biodiversity, mitigate climate change and advance responsible forestry practices globally.”
About four percent of the wood used in Ikea products comes from Romania, where some of the last remains of Europe’s ancient forests are found.
“It looks like the old forestry of third world countries, where a resource is ruthlessly extracted,” said a biodiversity expert.
View of an Ikea sign next to the entrance to one of its branches in Copenhagen, Denmark, November 2, 2023.
It is estimated that Ikea owns around 125,000 acres of forests across the country.
Despite the audits, several investigations by environmental groups in recent months have linked Ikea to “destructive forestry practices” in Romania, both on its own land and in forests managed by its suppliers.
An investigation suggested that some of the company’s local partners in the country were clearing ancient forests in the Carpathian Mountains, in a move described as “potentially illegal”.
Greenpeace, the environmental activism group, said it has traced at least 30 Ikea products from these suppliers to stores in 14 countries, including the UK.