IKEA, the biggest furniture retailer in the world, has released 2010 Sustainability Report covering the period between September 1, 2009  and August 31, 2010 and outlining the success the company has attained in tackling social and environmental issues. Moreover, the report comprises description of the goals set by IKEA for 2015 pertaining to every stage of the product life.

The main points of the document include:

— Product score card. IKEA plans to implement its own scoring system that will help assess the overall sustainability of a product. Such ecological factors as CO2 emission during the transportation, percentage of toxic chemicals used in production process, renewable energy usage, presence of the recycled materials in a product will all be taken into account. Overall, there are 11 criteria for calculation of the environmental score to be displayed on a product scorecard. However, IKEA emphasizes that the card is designed for internal use mainly and represents a key invention that’ll help the company reach the green goals and sell greener products in the future.

— Increased use of renewable energy. According to IKEA, as the number of the households using solar panels has doubled, the brand got closer to achieving its goal of operating all IKEA units on 100% renewable energy.

— IKEA foundation will finance another euro 7.5 mln in UNICEF’s water and sanitation programme in India providing clean water for the families residing in 15 Indian states.

— According to the report, about 80,000 of farmers in India and Pakistan are using sustainable farming practices to produce cotton for IKEA goods.

— Increased use of certified wood. According to the IWAY Forestry requirements, set by IKEA, the brand will also source this material from a supplier that will warrant its legality and traceability. The increase in certified timber usage was predecessed by the increase of the certified wood areas.

Follow this link to view IKEA 2010 Sustainability Report.

Mikael Ohlsson, IKEA Group President and CEO, said, “I’m proud to share with you some of the things that IKEA has accomplished so far together with our customers, co-workers, suppliers and partners such as WWF, UNICEF and Save the Children. Working together means that we can make huge contributions towards a more sustainable future.”