IKEA does 2 million shipments a year and 4.3% of the total IKEA value chain climate footprint comes from product transport. One of the top priorities is to reduce carbon emissions from every product transport by an average of 70% by 2030 compared to 2017. A key initiative to live up to this goal is to shift transportation from road to intermodal*, i.e. rail, short sea, and barge, over longer distances.
Reducing truck transportation
In close collaboration with the transport service provider KLOG, the logistics service provider CFL multimodal, fashion retailer Inditex and IKEA, an intermodal block train** that runs once per week on the Poland-Spain-Poland corridor was launched in October 2022. For IKEA, the estimated results of using the block train and intermodal solutions instead of road transportation are a reduction of 4,500 trucks and lowered CO2 emissions by 5,100 tons per year.
"Only by working together with our partners can we transform the transport industry and increase the intermodal share in the European railway network”, says Dariusz Mroczek, Category Area Transport Manager, IKEA Supply Chain Operations. “IKEA transports big volumes from Poland to Spain, and Inditex has big volumes going from Spain to Poland, consequently being able to fill the train in both directions is essential to reduce carbon emissions”.
Joint project to decarbonise transport
The trucks replaced with the block train are still needed for the shorter distances, from IKEA suppliers to the train terminal and from the train terminal to the IKEA stores or distribution centres in Spain. This opens new opportunities for truck drivers to experience improved work-life balance, reduced air pollution and less traffic congestion.
“This joint project with IKEA is a good example of how we understand the commitment to reduce our environmental impact, boosting collaborative solutions with suitable partners to enhance the achieved scope. This specific development of inland logistics enables us to move towards our decarbonisation goal while keeping the agility and flexibility that features our business model”, says Abel López Cernadas, Head of Import, Export and Transport, Inditex.
*Intermodal means that the longest part of the transportation distance is done by rail, inland waterways or shortsea and that the shorter distances – first and/or last transportation legs – are carried out by road.
**A block train is a train that transports goods as one unit from the start destination to the end destination without stops.
Related links
The IKEA road to decarbonising transports and logistics
IKEA commits to zero-emission on heavy-duty vehicles
Our view on drivers working conditions
About IKEA
IKEA offers well-designed, functional and affordable, high-quality home furnishing, produced with care for people and the environment. There are several companies with different owners, working under the IKEA Brand, all sharing the same vision: to create a better everyday life for the many people. IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943.
About the IKEA franchise system
The IKEA retail business is operated through a franchise system with franchisees that are authorised to market and sell the IKEA product range within specified geographical territories. Inter IKEA Systems B.V. is the owner of the IKEA Concept and worldwide IKEA franchisor, who also assigns different IKEA companies to develop the product range, supply products and deliver communication solutions. Today, 12 different groups of companies have the right to own and operate IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V.
About Inter IKEA Group
Inter IKEA Group includes Inter IKEA Systems B.V., IKEA of Sweden AB, IKEA Supply AG and IKEA Industry AB related businesses. Inter IKEA Holding B.V. is the holding company for the Inter IKEA Group.
