Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, is taking part in the United Nations General Assembly alongside Climate Week in New York between 22-29 September to inspire and drive more ambitious climate action. To bring hope and optimism to the discussions the company will host its second Action Speaks summit, gathering leaders from businesses, governments, NGOs and the climate community around climate solutions.
“With only five years left to deliver to the Paris Agreement, we are optimistic that if we work together, we have it in our hands to limit global temperatures to 1.5°C degrees”
– Jesper Brodin, CEO, Ingka Group
As a multinational business, Ingka Group, is committed to the Paris Agreement and limiting global temperatures to 1.5°C, by taking action to decarbonize its own business. Together with partners, the company is using its size and reach to accelerate climate action in society.
“We are in a critical decade for climate action and 2024 is a pivotal year and despite global challenges, we must stay committed. With only five years left to deliver to the Paris Agreement, we are optimistic that if we work together, we have it in our hands to limit global temperatures to 1.5°C degrees. Good news is that many the solutions exist, and we are making progress, just not fast enough. Governments and businesses must continue to speed up, scale and implement solutions. To enable businesses to accelerate actions – we need governments to set more ambitious targets – backed by clear plans,” says Jesper Brodin, CEO, Ingka Group.
Currently most NDCs are not aligned with 1.5C, and ahead of COP30, countries are required to submit enhanced climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions) to the United Nations for the period 2025-2035.
To advocate for more ambitious action Ingka Group joined a new global coalition, ‘Mission 2025’ that encourages governments to set ambitious NDCs and phase out fossil fuels. In addition, Ingka Group is supporting the We Mean Business Coalition* in calling for ambitious and investible NDCs.
To enable the transformation across society, Ingka Group welcomes the following actions from governments:
- Increase greenhouse gas reduction targets in line with the 1.5°C target to halve emissions by 2030 and reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at the latest.
- Set short and long-term policies within their NDCs in line with the 1.5°C target to finance and accelerate the transition to renewable energy, circular economy, as well as sustainable transport, food systems, reducing food waste, agriculture, and forestry.
- Accelerate the renewable energy transition and phase out fossil fuels that still account for most of the energy demand. Invest in necessary infrastructure and streamline permitting processes to enable businesses and people to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions faster.
The annual General Assembly of the United Nations/Climate Week NYC is always an important milestone before the annual Conference of the Parties (COP29) climate conference this year taking place in Baku, Azerbajdzjan in November. During Climate Week, Ingka Group will be represented by Jesper Brodin, CEO, Karen Pflug CSO and Simon Henzell-Thomas, Climate & Nature Manager. They will engage in policy conversations, panel discussions and engagements related to areas including the update of NDCs, renewable energy transition, circularity and sustainable mobility.
Showcasing scalable climate solutions at Action Speaks
For the second successive year Ingka Group is hosting Action Speaks, an event aiming to bring hope and action to the private, public, & NGO sector. Grounded in the scientific reality of climate change, the event and exhibition will welcome representatives from different sectors to discuss, visualise and learn about impactful climate solutions.
“We already have the solutions for change but it’s time to act with speed and impact. We are excited to bring people together to inspire many more to take action by learning from each other. We encourage more people and businesses to join our fast-growing climate community, share climate solutions and tap into valuable networks and resources. By working together, we can create a better future for people, planet and our economy,” says Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group.
This year, the event will showcase climate solutions at an experiential pavilion at The Nest Climate Campus in the Javits Center. The event will also be open to the public, where they can see and learn about impactful climate solutions and thought leadership that focus on how we eat, power, move, make, grow and finance.
Climate Week events available to view via live stream:
- The New York Times Climate Forward panel event – featuring Jesper Brodin, CEO.
- Financial Times – Navigating the Energy Transition panel event – featuring Karen Pflug, CSO,
In November 2023, Ingka strengthened its climate targets in alignment with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standard. These targets were approved by SBTi in April 2024. This includes a commitment to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from the value chain by at least 50% by FY30 (compared to FY16 baseline) and reach net zero emissions by 2050, without relying on carbon offsets to meet these absolute reduction targets.
Action Speaks – For more information, register for events and join the community visit www.actionspeaksplatform.com
We Mean Business – Time to deliver: Business call to action for ambitious and investible NDCs
Why we advocate for a net zero world – To read more information on Ingka Group’s climate advocacy and policy asks, please go to the climate advocacy page on Ingka.com here: Climate change advocacy | Ingka Group
*The We Mean Business coalition is a group of nonprofit organizations working with the world’s most influential businesses to take action on climate change. The global coalition brings together organizations like: BSR, CDP, Ceres, The B Team, The Climate Group and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Catalyzing business action to drive policy ambition and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy. Find out more at wemeanbusinesscoaltion.org.
About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations on 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents about 90% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on www.Ingka.com.
Media enquiries
For further information, journalists and media professionals can contact us at press.office@ingka.com or by calling +46 70 993 6376.
