IKEA to Phase-Out Use of Timber from Ancient Forests
12/23/99
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Title: IKEA to Protect Ancient Forests
Source: EarthVision Reports
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: December 23, 1999
BRUSSELS, December 23, 1999 - IKEA, the international home
furnishings retailer, recently announced that it is phasing out all
purchases of products made from unknown sources of wood. The policy
change was made to ensure that no wood products originated from
ancient forests.
"Our long term goal is to ensure that all wooden products come from
well-managed forests. The first step is to see that no solid wood is
coming from ancient forests," said Susanne Pulverer Bergstrand,
Environmental Manager of the IKEA Group.
IKEA announced that they are working with their suppliers to ensure
that by September 2000, the solid wood used to make products for IKEA
does not originate from ancient forests. The only exception will be
wood from ancient forests coming from FSC certified forestry
operations.
The announcement was welcomed by the nonprofit group Greenpeace,
whose campaign on ancient forests is actively working to protect
these regions from destruction. On the same day as IKEA's
announcement, Greenpeace released a new report titled, Re-Source:
Market Alternatives to Ancient Forest Destruction. The report
describes a range of alternative fiber products available in the US,
Europe and Japan that do not involve ancient forest destruction.