Our water agenda
From making to using our products, the IKEA value chain relies on safe, available and affordable water. To manage the use of this shared and important natural resource sustainably across our value chain, IKEA is committed to improving water security, protecting nature, supporting communities and collaborating with others to inspire a widespread water action in society.
Our focus areas
Our focus areas connected to water consider where we have the most influence and opportunities for impact. Our water agenda includes:
Reducing freshwater use
We will work to reduce our freshwater use/withdrawal across our value chain – from raw materials and operations to enabling and inspiring our customers to reduce water use at home.
We will reduce freshwater use through:
- Decreasing water use connected to raw materials and food ingredients
- Reducing the water we use in the manufacturing of IKEA products
- Driving efficiency through customer meeting points and retail operations
- Developing affordable water-efficient products, inspiring better choices and behaviour
Improving water quality
Water pollution is a key threat to nature and human health, altering ecosystems and living conditions. We will work to strengthen our work to address pollution across our value chain.
To achieve this, we will:
- Reduce water pollution across our supply chain
- Create solutions to improve water quality at home
- Strengthen our “source-to-sea” approach to pollution
Enhancing freshwater ecosystems and community access
We will prioritise actions for restoring and regenerating freshwater ecosystems connected to our value chain, ensuring access for communities.
Our starting point will be the top 15 water-stressed basins in our value chain that face very high levels of water stress. We will enhance freshwater ecosystems and community access by:
- Securing access to clean water for local communities
- Leading collective action projects with partners, supply partners, public sector organisations and civil society
- Assessing and mitigating flood risks
No company, organisation or individual can tackle water challenges alone. We will continue to lead projects and collaborate with other stakeholders to address our shared challenges and enhance water security.