IKEA rejects Greenpeace allegations that an old-growth forest in the Poiana Ruscă Mountains was logged and announces it will monitor forest regeneration

Inter IKEA Group rejects allegations by Greenpeace Romania that an old-growth forest in the Poiana Ruscă Mountains was logged, arguing that the work took place in an area designated for timber production, in compartment 37 of the ROSCI0219 Natura 2000 site. The company says the site is not classified as virgin or old-growth forest and is not listed in Romania’s National Catalogue of Virgin and Quasi-Virgin Forests.

The response follows a protest organized by Greenpeace outside the IKEA Pallady store in Bucharest. The environmental organization accused the company of linking its products to the logging of forests with high biodiversity value and called for supplies from such areas to be halted.

IKEA says it examined the situation through a field visit conducted by forestry experts and discussions with the supplier, the local forestry district and the Forest Stewardship Council. The company maintains that the logging is permitted under Natura 2000 rules, local legislation and FSC requirements.

Inter IKEA Group announced that it will monitor forest regeneration to ensure that a new forested area becomes established. The company also disputes Greenpeace’s interpretation of a map it cited, arguing that the map indicated areas proposed for protection that were under assessment, not areas with definitive legal status. Greenpeace, meanwhile, is calling for a moratorium on logging in areas proposed for strict protection.