Ikea owner commits €600m in sustainability investing over next 12 months
Ingka Group – the business owner of Ikea – will commit €600m in sustainability investments, including a “zero-fossil fuel” approach, to assist with Ikea’s overall ambition of becoming “climate positive” by 2030.
In addition, the Ingka Group has confirmed it will implement a “zero-fossil fuel approach” to spending and procurement
The Ingka Group will invest €600m over the next 12 months in companies and solutions that have a direct impact towards the Paris Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We believe it’s good business to be a good business. Despite the significant challenges we’re facing in the world, we still have it in our own hands to change the direction of the climate crisis. We want to be part of the solution, which is why we will continue to focus our future investments to ensure a cleaner, greener and more inclusive recovery,” Ingka Group’s deputy chief executive Jevencio Maeztu said.
In addition, the Ingka Group has confirmed it will implement a “zero-fossil fuel approach” to spending and procurement, as part of a revamped approach to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) standards. The group will also review local pension alignment across 31 countries, to ensure they are aligned with the new ESG standards.
Climate positive
The €600m commitment brings total spending into sustainability solutions from the group to €3.8bn.
Ingka Group revealed last year that it has invested a total of almost €2.5bn in onsite and offsite wind and solar power. The Group, which has operations in more than 30 countries, is now generating more renewable energy than it consumes.
It builds towards Ikea’s overarching 2030 goal of becoming ‘climate positive’. Ikea is striving to become “climate-positive” by 2030 – an aim the firm has defined as fulfilling its contribution to the Paris Agreement through an emissions reduction across the value chain that is aligned to climate science.
The multinational is targeting an 80% climate footprint reduction from stores and operations in absolute terms by 2030 – against a 2016 baseline – which aligns to a 2C target and aims towards the 1.5C trajectory towards the end of the century. Ikea claims that reducing emissions by 15% from the value chain by 2030 translates to a 70% reduction in climate footprint on average per product, and is therefore working to decarbonise key materials, food ingredients and transport, while setting more ambitious reduction targets for direct suppliers.
Ikea has reduced its overall climate footprint by 4.3%, despite the business growing by 6.5%.
The announcement was made during a virtual sustainability event, which also featured keynote speeches from the likes of Christiana Figueres, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Commenting on the announcement, Figueres said: “This highlights the role business can play in addressing the challenges of climate change. We must direct investments towards green technologies and solutions that are clean. Companies big and small have an important role to play and an opportunity to turn the challenges we face into solutions, as we build back better.”
Examining corporate spending for the green recovery
How businesses examine their own approaches to spending is one of the eight key principles listed in edie’s new Green Recovery Business Roadmap.
Much has been said about the need to deliver a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. But what new ways of working should businesses be exploring to assist with a just and low-carbon transition? This new report outlines EIGHT key considerations.
This Roadmap report is brought to you in association with edie’s headline Green Recovery partner Centrica Business Solutions. The report maps out eight key principles for businesses to tackle
the climate and nature emergencies whilst driving economic recovery in 2020-21.
Matt Mace
