IKEA UAE uses Neutral Fuels biodiesel to help slash carbon emissions

Photo: Neutral Fuels

IKEA, one of the world’s best-known home furnishing brands, aims to cut its CO2 emissions in the United Arab Emirates by up to 90 percent, on the way to its ultimate goal of emission-free deliveries by 2025—just four short years away.

Farjad Shah, sustainability developer of IKEA UAE, said this was part of the company’s extensive sustainability strategy.

“To meet this goal, we’ve been using Neutral Fuels B100 Net Zero Biofuel™ since 2019,” Shah said. “Specifically in the delivery vehicles that transport goods from Jebel Ali port to our various local distribution centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.”

He said IKEA was hugely committed to sustainability right across the business.

“Discovering the ease with which we could switch to biofuel was a happy revelation for us,” Shah said. “From one refueling to the next, we exchanged dirty fossil fuel for clean, green biofuel without any modifications at all. We immediately became part of the solution to climate change rather than continuing as part of the problem.”

Karl W. Feilder, CEO of Neutral Fuels, said IKEA’s commitment was exactly what was needed from the entire corporate world.

“Biofuel is the quickest and easiest way to cut carbon emissions,” Feilder said. “If every diesel engine switched to pure B100 biofuel today, we would see a direct improvement in Earth’s atmosphere as climate change started to diminish.”

According to Feilder, the transportation and logistics industries need to mandate biofuel for use in all diesel vehicles.

“With such a clear, easy and proven path away from carbon emissions, there’s no excuse for not committing to carbon neutrality as IKEA has done,” he said.

In early March, the United Nations urged countries to adopt stronger and more ambitious plans to reach the Paris Agreement climate goals, saying the world was “Nowhere close to the level of action needed to fight global warming.”

Feilder said, “Every company needs to declare its net zero-strategy—with the emphasis on ‘zero.’ Viable alternative renewable fuels offer a direct path away from problematic fossil fuel.”