Published 27 November 2019 • Inter IKEA newsroom
COP25: IKEA on what climate actions are needed to improve land use
Wood is one of IKEA’s most important raw materials, and an essential part of the IKEA identity. The world’s forests play a crucial role for the climate, and during COP25, IKEA will participate in the panel discussion “Climate action and land use—opportunities and risk” to explore how we together can improve land use and mitigate climate change with a special focus on forestry and agriculture.
Wood is an excellent environmental choice, provided that it comes from responsibly managed forests. In the last 12 months, IKEA used around 21 million cubic metres of round wood — almost one percent of the world’s industrial round wood supply. Looking at all IKEA sales, 60% are connected to wood based products.
As a large user of wood we believe IKEA has both the ability and the responsibility to be a positive influence on how forests are managed. Our target is that by end of 2020 all wood used in IKEA products will come from more sustainable sources, currently defined as FSC certified or recycled wood.
We have a global team of Wood Supply & Forestry specialists working with their boots on the ground, making sure that the wood we use comes from responsibly managed forests. We also partner with global stakeholders to help eliminate forest degradation and deforestation and promote the importance of responsible forest management beyond our own material needs. This way of working we call being Forest Positive.
“We believe that to make a difference we need to work together with others. For many years we have partnered with governments, industry, NGOs, and certification systems to improve and make responsible forest management the norm. I’m happy to see that we have been able to both grow our wood business and at the same time fulfill our goals on what we want to achieve,” says Ulf Johansson, Global Wood Supply and Forestry Manager at IKEA Range & Supply.
The world’s forests play a crucial role for the climate, especially in climate change mitigation. Agriculture, food production and deforestation are the main drivers of climate change according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). To keep temperature increase to 1.5°C, a major shift towards sustainable land use will be required.
IKEA is attending COP25 to share how we are working to become climate positive and discuss how we and other businesses can speed up the global climate movement. During the COP25 panel discussion “Climate action and land use—opportunities and risk”, Ulf Johansson will discuss what governments and businesses can do to improve land use management with a special focus on forestry and agriculture, and the food, materials and fuels they provide.
COP25 will be held in Madrid, 2–13 December.
COP25 event: “Climate action and land use—opportunities and risk”
IKEA, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) jointly invite to an event that will explore what governments and businesses can do to improve land use management with special focus on forestry and agriculture and the food, materials and fuels they provide.
Ulf Johansson, Global Wood Supply and Forest Manager at IKEA Range & Supply will be one of the speakers at the event
When: 5 December 2019, 12.30-2.00 pm (CET, local time)
Where: Room to be confirmed