What does being climate positive mean for IKEA?

The IKEA vision has always been to create a better everyday life for the many people. Unfortunately, climate change threatens this, both for people today and for generations to come. Recent years have been the hottest to date and we have already reached more than 1°C above pre-industrial levels. Now is the time to act, while securing a just transition so that nobody is left behind.

Our climate footprint covers the entire lifecycle of our products – from the extraction and processing of raw materials, the stores and touch points where we meet our customers, to the use and end-of-life of our products. We have a big responsibility – and many opportunities – to make a positive difference when it comes to climate change.

We are committed to the Paris Agreement and to contribute to limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This includes a commitment to halve the absolute net GHG emissions from the total IKEA value chain by 2030 by drastically reducing GHG emissions and removing and storing carbon from the atmosphere.

Our ambition is to become climate positive by 2030, we will do this by:

Drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms from all parts of the IKEA value chain

By 2030, our goal is to reduce the absolute greenhouse gas emissions from the IKEA value chain by at least 15% compared to FY16, while still growing the IKEA business. To achieve this, we will:

• Promote sustainable choices and transform into a circular business: We will design all products from the very beginning to be reused, refurbished, remanufactured and recycled – prolonging their life and generating as little waste as possible. We will inspire and enable people to live better lives within the boundaries of the planet. This will reduce the need to extract and process new raw materials – the biggest part of our footprint.
• Strive towards 100% renewable energy, phase out fossil fuels and continually improve energy efficiency in our supply chain, as well as enable our customers to do the same through the products and services we offer.
• Use more sustainable materials and food ingredients: Our ambition is to only use renewable or recycled materials in our products by 2030, introduce more plant-based food into the range, and continue to source materials and food from more sustainable sources such as Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified wood.

Removing and storing carbon in land, plants and products

Farmed crops and trees – which are used for materials, food and fuels – absorb and store carbon as they grow, in the plant itself and in the soil. This removes CO₂ from the atmosphere and contributes to a reduced climate footprint. With this in mind, we plan to:

• Continue to support the development and implementation of responsible sourcing standards and the adoption of better management practices in forestry and agriculture. This can boost carbon storage, reduce the use of fossil based fertilisers and reduce risks of deforestation while protecting biodiversity and ecosystems.
• Increase the time carbon is stored by becoming a circular business and prolonging the life of products made from renewable materials.

Going beyond the IKEA value chain

• Enable customers to generate and consume renewable energy at home with the IKEA home solar offer and other clean energy services.
• Support and partner with our nearly 1,000 direct home furnishing suppliers to reduce the total footprint of their factories (which do not only manufacture IKEA products). This will enable us to address a footprint around four times larger than that associated with our own manufacturing.

Our climate footprint performance

Learn more about our climate footprint

Read the Sustainability report FY20 (PDF, 9.4MB)