Let’s assemble a better future

This is the most important COP yet

At COP26, more than 190 global leaders, as well as thousands more in the form of government representatives, businesses and citizens, will come together for 12 days of talks on the climate emergency. Taking place in Glasgow from October 31st to November 12th 2021, this is the UN’s 26th annual climate conference.

COP26 is even more important than previous conferences. Many nations have still not laid out their plans to help keep 1.5°C within reach, even though we’re increasingly seeing the effects of climate change all around the world.

Because of the pandemic, the conference has already been postponed for a year, and with every day that passes, we have less and less time to limit the effects of climate change.

The decade to 2030 is decisive and COP26 is the moment for us to kickstart global action.

What needs to happen at COP26?

In response to the urgency of the climate crisis, the UN has set four major goals for COP26.

1. Achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050 and keep global warming within 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels
2. Protect communities and ecosystems from the effects of climate change
3. Work with financial institutions to unlock the trillions in financing needed to achieve global net zero
4. Bring governments, businesses and people together to tackle the challenges of the climate crisis

We’re calling for change at COP26

We’re proud to be a Partner of COP26, the UN climate conference. With world leaders gathered together, this is a historic opportunity to turn the tide on climate change.

We believe that by working together, we can keep global warming within 1.5°C of pre-industrial levels and ensure a just transition to a net-zero society. It’s in our hands to create a better future, and home, for all. A critical decade for climate action starts here.

How IKEA is taking climate action

Our vision has always been the same: to create a better everyday life for the many people. In today’s world, this means reassembling our business and value chain to drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

We’ve set ambitious goals to guide us on this journey. This includes our commitments to becoming climate positive by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, all so we can help keep global warming below 1.5°C.

It’s our responsibility to the home we share, and it’s what our customers and co-workers expect. It’s also what’s best for business, because our business can only thrive if we protect the world around us.

This is only part of our commitment to change. Click below to find out how we’re planning to make IKEA people and planet positive by 2030.

Why is renewable energy important?

Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy – generated by wind turbines, solar panels and other sources – is one of the most effective ways we can work towards the COP26 climate goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest and limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Renewable energy also plays an important part in our plan of becoming climate positive. This is why at Ingka Group we’ve invested €2.5 billion in solar and wind power since 2009, and why we plan to accelerate our investments with an additional €4 billion. It’s also why we’ve set ourselves the goal of using 100% renewable energy right across our value chain by 2030 (meaning not just in our own business, but our suppliers’ too).

Electrifying transport is another area that can help us reduce our climate footprint, and we’re already making good progress on our journey to 100% zero-emission home deliveries by 2025.

We’ve also been developing new ways to help our customers embrace renewable energy in their homes.

IKEA Clean Energy Services include STRÖMMA, which allows Swedish customers to buy affordable, certified solar and wind energy directly from us, and our Home Solar service, which provides rooftop solar panels in select countries so that customers can power their homes in a more environmentally friendly way.

We’re becoming circular by design

Another of our goals is to become a circular retailer by 2030. We’re exploring all kinds of ways to build circular design principles into our products, and we’re helping people see new value in their belongings by repairing, upgrading or personalizing them.

We’ve also launched our circular hubs. These are new in-store destinations that reduce the number of products being replaced by helping customers give new life to old things. In these spaces, customers can find offers on everything from discontinued to ex-display products, as well as learning how to look after, clean or personalize their IKEA furniture, so they can love it for longer.

Our Buy Back service is another way we’re extending the life of IKEA products. Rather than throwing away used or unwanted furniture, we’re asking customers to bring it back to us in return for IKEA vouchers. We’ll then resell the furniture, recycle it or donate to community projects.

What if we could create a world where we’ve brought climate change under control? Where we can all make a positive contribution to the well-being of our planet. A world that’s healthy for generations to come.

We believe that this is still possible. That we can still do this if we work together. From businesses and governments to people at home, we all have a part to play in protecting our world.

That’s why, as well as transforming our own business, we’re looking further and working with others to promote change on the greatest possible scale.

At COP26, we’ll be taking part in a number of initiatives, including ONE HOME, ONE PLANET. This is our own event that brings together a diverse set of thinkers, makers and influencers from around the world to discuss and co-create solutions to the planet’s environmental challenges.

In another of our collaborations, we’re uniting with fellow global retailers to launch the Race to Zero Breakthroughs: Retail Campaign. Through this alliance, we’re encouraging and supporting retailers around the world to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

We’ve also partnered with the Earthshot Prize. This calls on the world’s brightest minds to come up with innovative solutions to the planet’s most pressing challenges, which we can then help spotlight and scale.

Want to help assemble a better future?

Every one of us can help make a difference. Find out about the simple steps you can take at home to reduce your climate footprint.