Stakeholder engagement
An essential part of fulfilling the IKEA sustainability commitments is working together with others. It’s important to develop strong and meaningful relationships. When we work together, we can drive and support change, learn, and inspire each other and find the best solutions.
Our key stakeholder groups are:
Co-workers
The 219,000 IKEA co-workers from around the world share a special set of values and a vision to enable people to live a better, more sustainable everyday life. They come together in diverse, inclusive and open IKEA environments, where each can offer something unique. Every co-worker plays a role in creating a better business.
Communities
We engage in the communities where we operate to learn and share ideas while working collaboratively to create positive impacts on the environment, livelihoods and local economy.
Suppliers and partners
We work with around 1,500 direct suppliers and service providers in the areas of home furnishing, transport, logistics and distribution services, components and food to minimise the environmental footprint of the total IKEA supply chain and beyond, while improving working conditions. There are millions of workers who, through our suppliers and service providers, source, make and transport our products and components, provide food for our restaurants, and supply essential services to IKEA companies.
Customers
In order to live up to the IKEA vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people, we need to understand the needs of our customers. The IKEA business engages with customers in many ways, such as in stores, online, by visiting them at home and via IKEA FAMILY. Each year, IKEA co-workers conduct thousands of home visits around the world. The data and insights collected are used in the development of IKEA products and services. Since 2016, we’ve also conducted an annual global survey about life at home around the world. The results are published in the Life at Home Report.
Partners and collaborators
IKEA partners and collaborates with many external organisations that are committed to tackling large and complex global sustainability challenges, that both impact and are impacted by the IKEA business. Our partners and collaborators include businesses, governments, universities and NGOs.
Cross-topic collaborations
Over 20 years of partnership with WWF
For over twenty years, IKEA and WWF have been working side by side to protect and responsibly manage natural resources and improve livelihoods around the world, as well as take a holistic approach to biodiversity, climate change, forest landscapes, water stewardship and cotton. Through specific projects around the globe, the partnership has, for example, supported Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification of more than 36 million hectares of forests, trained 60,000 cotton farmers on Climate Smart Practices in India and Pakistan, worked together to raise awareness about the role businesses play to eliminate water pollution and enable efficient water use and collaborated on guidance to help companies tackle the climate crisis.
Making sustainability more measurable with WRI
The IKEA business has a longstanding partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI), with a core focus to make sustainability topics measurable and enable decision-making. The main topics we are partnering on are climate change, forestry, food and water. Inter IKEA is also a member of the Corporate Consultative Group (CCG). Through CCG membership and broader engagements with WRI, IKEA both receives advice on these topics and engages in initiatives such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Coolfood Pledge.
A broad collaboration with WBCSD
Since 2019, the IKEA business has developed and broadened its engagement with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), engaging across topics ranging from climate, circularity, food, healthy and sustainable living, nature to inequality. This work takes the form of contributing to dedicated workstreams and programmes, as well as supporting WBCSD advocacy around key events and legislation. IKEA has also been part of shaping the WBCSD’s flagship Vision 2050 Time to Transform report.
Working with advocacy by sharing experience-based business insights
Governments and authorities around the world are taking steps to regulate sustainable business development. Through advocacy, we work with governments, authorities, politicians, civil servants, trade associations, NGO’s, unions, and others with an interest in, or impact on, the IKEA business. We share experience-based insights on key topics and in markets relevant for our business. One example of regulatory development important to IKEA is the EU Green Deal led by the European Union. It has enormous potential to positively transform the economy in a way that benefits people, the planet, and businesses. For IKEA, we see advocacy for developments such as the EU Green Deal as an important opportunity to better understand the groundwork for future ways of working in Europe and globally, while actively sharing our experiences with policymakers on practical implications of new legislation.
Credible and transparent sustainability standards
IKEA has been collaborating with the ISEAL Alliance for over 10 years. This has given us the insight necessary to make IWAY, our supplier code of conduct, more robust and credible over time. ISEAL Alliance sets the minimum requirements that sustainability frameworks need to fulfil, and ‘ISEAL code-compliant members’ are among the more credible sustainability standards currently available in the world. Examples of standards that the IKEA business uses today are certification schemes like Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
Inter IKEA Group has been a member of the Steering Group for revision of the ISEAL Credibility Principles, and also a member of the Technical Committee and the ISEAL Stakeholder Council.
Calling for a strengthened global framework for chemicals and waste
The IKEA business is a member of the High Ambition Alliance on Chemicals and Waste, a group of committed leading ministers from the whole UN region, intergovernmental organisations, industry and civil society. The ambition is to enhance awareness, ensure strong commitments and through this promote the sound management of chemicals and waste at all levels.
Supporting the Global Plastic Treaty
We have joined the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty which aims at bringing together businesses and financial institutions committed to supporting the development of an ambitious, effective and legally binding UN Treaty to end plastic pollution. The coalition is convened by the Ellen McArthur Foundation and WWF, in collaboration with aligned businesses and supported by strategic NGO partners.
A call to action for transforming food systems for people, nature, and climate
In 2023, the IKEA business together with other non-state actors signed the Call to Action for Transforming Food Systems for People, Nature, and Climate, asking for food systems to be included in the climate negotiation. The vision is that by 2030, food systems will deliver significant, measurable progress for people, nature, and climate.
Fossil to Clean
Together with some of our strategic partner such as WWF, ERI (Exponential Roadmap Initiative, BSR (Business for Social Responsibility), The Climate Group and World Business Council for Sustainable Development, IKEA and signed the Fossil to Clean Campaign together with more than 200 businesses calling for the phase out of fossil fuels, tripling of renewable capacity and doubling of energy efficiency.
Inspiring healthy and sustainable living
Founding member of the 50L Home Coalition
The IKEA business is also a founding member of the 50L Home Coalition – a global action-oriented initiative focusing on developing and scaling innovations in water and energy use in the home. The ambition is to make 50 litres of daily water use per person a new reality. The coaliation recently piloted a study that consists of integrating solutions from different market leaders to demonstrate how existing and new innovations can achieve substantial savings in domestic water and energy consumption.
IKEA Nutrition Profiling System
To accelerate the transition to a more healthy and sustainable food offer, IKEA has launched a science-backed Food Nutrition Profiling System. The system is built upon criteria developed by the Choices International Foundation (Choices) that are scientifically grounded and globally applicable. Food and nutrition goals communicated by IKEA are entered into the externally available Nutrition Accountability Framework, published by the Global Nutrition Report.
The GlobeScan Healthy & Sustainable Living Report
The IKEA business has been a partner in initiating this report for several years, with the aim of providing global insights to help businesses better understand, engage with and mobilise people around healthy and sustainable living. Launched in 2019, this program consists of comparative and representative online surveys of almost 31,000 consumers in 31 markets around the world.
Contributing to limiting climate change to 1.5°C
Supporting the process to reach the Paris Agreement
IKEA has a responsibility to show the tangible actions we are taking here and now to tackle climate change and reduce the IKEA climate footprint. Since 2018 – through our partners UNFCCC (UN Climate Change), Business Sweden and ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) – we have been supporting the annual COP meetings, which bring together global stakeholders to finalise and implement the Paris Agreement. Our role at these meetings has been to show concrete action being taken here and now, engaging with partners through key spokespersons to highlight critical matters, expertise and in-kind donations that support our partners.
Influencing climate standards
On an ongoing basis, the IKEA business participates in a range of consultations provided by various partners, aiming to make universal criteria and guidelines for climate action as robust as possible, in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C. As an example, IKEA has given input to the new Net-Zero Guidance by the Science-Based Targets initiative, which provided a company standard for what it means to reduce a business climate footprint in line with the 1.5°C target and defining reaching net-zero emissions.
IKEA has contributed - both financially and through active participation - towards the development of the GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance, which will enable a standardised and credible way of measuring the effects of removing and storing carbon. IKEA is also engaging to improve more transparent data for ocean transports together with Clean Cargo (Methodology for Shipping emission factors) and the Smart Freight Centre (GLEC).
Enabling corporate action on measuring air pollution
Together with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition and Stockholm Environment Institute, IKEA initiated and contributed to the development of a new air pollution standard to enable companies to measure emissions of outdoor air pollution across an entire value chain and take action to reduce it. The objective is to enable companies to take joint action to both limit impact on climate change and reducing outdoor air pollution, contributing to clean air and healthier lives.
Accelerating climate action with Exponential Roadmap Initiative
The IKEA business is a partner to the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, which brings together leading innovators, transformers and disruptors with a common mission to halve emissions by latest 2030 through exponential solutions and action. IKEA is a founding member of the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders and supports the SME Climate Hub, where sharing best practices is a key enabler.
Partnering towards zero-emission transports
To eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution from transportation, the IKEA business is part of many initiatives to reach zero-emission transportation. For ocean shipping, IKEA is part of Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV), which members aim to only purchase zero-emission fuels for ocean shipping by 2040. This supports the needed rapid decarbonization of the shipping industry. The IKEA business is a founding member of EV100+, an initiative launched by the Climate Group. The initiative aims to transition the entire fleet of vehicles over 7.5 tonnes to zero-emission vehicles by 2040 across OECD markets, India and China. In addition, the IKEA franchisee Ingka Group is a member of the EV100 initiative to only use zero-emission vehicles for home deliveries by latest 2025.
Taking action on the degradation of nature and loss of biodiversity
Pushing for disclosure on nature
Together with more than 330 business and finance institutions, Inter IKEA Group engaged in the work leading up to COP15 and, through our ongoing work with Business for Nature, is calling for mandatory disclosures of impacts and dependencies on nature by 2030.
Science Based Targets for Nature Corporate Engagement Programme
The IKEA business is part of and supporting the corporate engagement program for Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTN), contributing to shaping the methodologies for science-based target setting and action on nature and biodiversity loss. This includes action on freshwater, the ocean, biodiversity, land use and more – building on the success of the widely adopted science-based targets for the climate.
Consumers Goods Forum (CGF)
In 2023, the Inter IKEA Group entered a new collaboration with Consumers Goods Forum as a member of the Forest Positive Coalition. The Forest Positive Coalition of Action, is comprised of ambitious member companies committed to moving efficiently and quickly towards a forest positive future. It aims to leverage collective action and accelerate systemic efforts to remove deforestation, forest degradation and conversion from key commodity supply chains.
Transforming into a circular business
Promoting circular economies in the furniture sector
As policymakers advance the roll-out of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, we continue to support their efforts by offering fact- and experience-based insights and contributions. During FY23, we welcomed the legislative proposal for an Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, we offered feedback on the most important design elements to drive circularity, and we supported the inclusion of products such as textiles, furniture, and mattresses in the forthcoming EU rules. We also advocated the importance of certain incentives and preconditions for circular development, such as incentives that enable more reuse and repair, setting a modern definition of "waste", and a scalable market for secondary raw materials. Together with the European Furniture Industries Confederation (EFIC) and EuroCommerce, we advanced the debate within a broader industry context, aiming at contributing to progress in areas such as ecodesign criteria and the digital product passport.
Partnering with Ellen McArthur Foundation
Together with the Ellen McArthur Foundation the IKEA business has contributed to the development of several tools aimed at laying the foundation for circular economies and maximising opportunities for sustainable development. IKEA was closely involved in the development of a glossary of terms to promote a shared understanding of terms like reuse, repair and recycle. We have also collaborated to support the creation of universally applicable circular economy policy goals. They provide a framework for national governments, cities and businesses to align their efforts as they transition into circular economies.
Contributing to a fair and equal world
Business Commission to Tackle Inequality
Inter IKEA Group has joined the Business Commission to Tackle Inequality – an initiative from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development – aiming to elevate business action on inequality. WBCSD identifies climate change, biodiversity loss and inequality as the three major challenges of our time. The Business Commission will convene leading businesses and other key stakeholders to create a platform for collaboration and a compelling narrative and agenda for business action.
WEF Racial Justice Coalition
The IKEA business, through Ingka Group, has partnered with the World Economic Forum and 47 global businesses in order to advance racial and ethnic justice in the world of work. The partnering for racial justice in business initiative aims to build equitable and just workplaces for professionals with under-represented racial and ethnic identities, starting with Black inclusion. Participating companies are committed to ensure racial and ethnic justice is on their board’s agenda, take at least one firm action and to set a long-term strategy to become an anti-racist organisation.
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Established in 1951, IOM is the leading inter-governmental organisation in the field of migration, and works closely with governmental, inter-governmental, and non-governmental partners. The IOM has long been a partner to and supported the IKEA business in developing its approach to ethical recruitment of migrant workers.
In recent years, IOM has continued to develop the International Recruitment Integrity System (IRIS), a voluntary certification process for international recruitment, where Inter IKEA Group is a member of the Advisory Committee and supports the overall development and implementation of IRIS.
UNICEF
Inter IKEA Group has partner with UNICEF to place children’s rights at the center of responsible business conduct as a vehicle for improving the lives of children worldwide. This collaboration aims to produce knowledge and practices through UNICEF’s Children’s Rights and Business programmes that lead to improvements in business policies and practices. The main focus is to co-develo knowledge products, tools and guidance that support change in the broader business environment on key child rights issues, such as: i) Family-Friendly Policies, Diversity and Inclusion; ii Children’s Rights in a Digital World; and (iii) Just Transition and Children’s Rights.
Read the report
To find out more about the IKEA sustainability commitments, read the IKEA FY23 Sustainability Report.