By Gerelyn Terzo, Global AgInvesting Media
In an unveiling alongside the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, Inter IKEA and BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group have formed a partnership to protect, restore and responsibly manage degraded and low-productive land in one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems: Brazil’s Atlantic Forest biome. Spanning 4,000 hectares of deforested pastureland in the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina, this effort, the first under IKEA’s €100 million commitment to carbon removal and storage, combines conservation with commercial pine forestry to sequester carbon dioxide, improve biodiversity and support local communities, paving the path for the potential expansion of future investments.
Forests remain one of the most effective ways to pull CO₂ out of the atmosphere, which is why Inter IKEA Group is working with BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group, a leading global timberland manager with a proven track record in Brazil. Harnessing its experience in large scale restoration and reforestation, BTG Pactual TIG will help shape and deliver the program so it generates real climate impact, protects biodiversity and stands up economically over the long term.
Gerrity Lansing, Head of BTG Pactual TIG, said, “We appreciate Inter IKEA Group for taking meaningful action to enhance the sustainability of its supply chain by investing in the protection, restoration and responsible management of forests in this critical biome. IKEA is showing the kind of leadership we need much more of, and we’re proud to partner with an organization that shares our commitment to creating lasting positive outcomes for climate and environmental. At TIG, we’ve long believed that innovative
approaches like this can deliver meaningful results for people, nature, and climate at scale, and we’re looking forward to demonstrating the results of this work.”
Inter IKEA Group Global Head of Raw Materials Ulf Johansson stated, “In IKEA, we recognize our responsibility as a major user of wood and strive to lead by example in responsible forest management – extending our efforts beyond the wood we source for our own business. This project explores how reforestation, restoration, and responsible forest management can help mitigate climate change by capturing and storing carbon in land, plants, and eventually products. Our goal is to demonstrate that productive forestry, conservation and restoration not only can coexist, but can thrive together.”
Brazil’s Atlantic Forest is one of the country’s most depleted biomes, with only about 13 percent of its native cover left. Under this project, a portion of the 4,000 hectares will be earmarked for the recovery of natural forest and habitats, while the balance will be used for responsibly managed pine plantations and improving the management of existing forest areas, targeting Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards.
The commercial pine component is meant to keep the landscape productive, creating jobs and steady economic activity for nearby communities while subsidizing restoration and conservation efforts on the properties. Throughout the life of the project, carbon removals and the effects on biodiversity, water, soil and local stakeholders will be monitored and independently verified to keep the results transparent and credible.
IKEA aims to slash absolute emissions across its value chain by 50 percent by 2030 from 2016 levels and reach net zero by 2050. To strengthen these efforts, the company is ramping up investments in carbon removal and storage initiatives that advance broader climate goals. Inter IKEA, the backbone of the operation, is “a group of companies that connect IKEA franchisees with range development and suppliers, and align the overall IKEA strategic direction,” per the company.
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