IKEA at COP30: demonstrating the business case for change 

Op-ed: Lena Julle, Chief Sustainability Officer, Inter IKEA Group

As we head into COP30 in Belém, Brazil, one thing is certain: the call for urgent and sustained climate action continues to grow louder. Across governments, civil society and the private sector, the conversation is about how fast we can act together.

At times, it may seem like momentum is slowing, with some pulling back from earlier climate commitments or delaying key policies. Yet that is not the full picture. Much of the hard work continues, often behind the scenes, through innovation, partnerships, and long-term investments that deliver results, even if they don’t make the headlines.

IKEA is at COP30 to reaffirm our support for the Paris Agreement and to share our continued efforts toward limiting global warming to 1.5°C. We believe that business growth and reducing emissions can go hand-in-hand and we’re here to collaborate with corporate, government, and civil society stakeholders to accelerate action this decade.

Our business direction is clear: we want to make IKEA more affordable, accessible and sustainable, including for those with thin wallets. We believe it is good business to be a good business. Which is why sustainability is an integral part of our business strategy. It’s what drives IKEA and it’s what drives me personally. 

One of the key discussions in Belém will centre around the growing gap between current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the level of action needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Clear, investible NDCs aligned to the latest science are essential to provide the private sector with confidence to scale solutions and accelerate the transition to climate-resilient, low-carbon economies. We also need policy frameworks to support the phase-out of fossil fuels, the transformation of food systems, circular infrastructure and the exponential scale-up of renewable energy. Net zero needs to be recognised as an economic opportunity that could enhance the resilience of nations and businesses.

Businesses have an equally critical role to play by staying the course. Business can drive innovation, make critical investments and turn ambitions into real action. At IKEA, we are determined to do our part. 

Our key efforts: 

• We are contributing to limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C. In FY23, we strengthened our goals in line with the SBTi Net-Zero Standard, to halving GHG emissions in absolute terms across our value chain by FY30 (compared to FY16) and reaching net-zero emissions by FY50 at the latest. 
• Since our baseline year FY16, we have reduced emissions by 28%, while continuing to grow.
• Our climate roadmap to FY30 outlines the actions and systemic movements required to meet these goals.

For us, reducing carbon emissions is one part of our holistic agenda that also addresses interconnected challenges such as nature and inequality.

I’m happy to share that Inter IKEA has decided to invest in a project that will focus on conserving, restoring and reforesting a total portfolio of approximately 4,000 hectares of deforested or low-productive pastureland within the Atlantic Forest biome in Brazil. This initiative will help strengthen ecosystem resilience, improve water and soil quality, remove and store carbon and enhance local communities’ capacity to adapt to climate impacts.  With this project, our goal is to demonstrate that productive forestry, conservation, and restoration can not only coexist, but work hand in hand. It will also allow Inter IKEA to test a scalable model, with the ambition to expand future investments.

Impactful climate action is not easy, but it is an investment into our future. Businesses have the opportunity from ambition into inspiration, by creating real value: new jobs, innovation, stronger communities, and products that make everyday life better.

The road to a net-zero future is long and sometimes difficult, but optimism must guide us. Change will happen when governments, businesses, and society act together.