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Sustainability 27 November 2023

Ingka Group joins COP28 to advocate for urgent climate action and to end fossil fuels dependency

As part of the IKEA ambition to advocate for urgent and ambitious climate action, Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, will actively take part in COP28 which runs from 30 November – 12 December 2023. The United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place in Dubai, UAE and represents another critical moment for global leaders, governments, and businesses to take urgent steps for clear policies and actions to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

“But as the climate crisis continues to impact millions of people around the world, we will only avoid the worst effects of climate change if the world shifts away from fossil fuels production and use”

– Jesper Brodin, CEO, Ingka Group

 

“As we have just seen from our new People & Planet Consumer Insights study, people are increasingly taking climate actions in their daily lives where they can, but two out of three people also want governments and businesses to take significant action to reduce climate change”

– Karen Pflug, CSO, Ingka Group

A key focus for this year’s COP28 summit will be the first ever global stocktake[1] process, which will show where the world stands on climate action. It is identifying the gaps and how we can work together to chart a better course forward to accelerate climate action and limit global warming. There is also be a clear ask to governments to end the global economy’s fossil fuel dependency, with representatives of the European Parliament pushing for end of global fossil fuel subsidies at the summit after a recent vote taken on November 21st as well as advocating for global targets to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency.

Eight years after the Paris Agreement was signed, the world is currently on a path for 2.5-2.9°C degrees average warming by the end of the century, according to the latest UN data. To have any chance at limiting warming to 1.5°C degrees, global emissions must decrease by around 7% annually until 2030—but emissions are still increasing today by 1.5% per year[i].

“Ultimately our actions are driven by our commitment to the Paris Agreement, and we are doing everything we can both in our business and beyond to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C. We have already decoupled our growth from our climate footprint and continue to invest in renewable energy to speed up the transition to a net-zero society. But as the climate crisis continues to impact millions of people around the world, we will only avoid the worst effects of climate change if the world shifts away from fossil fuels production and use.

Despite other ongoing challenges around the world, I remain optimistic because solutions are out there across all sectors. But only by working together with other businesses, governments and across industries, can we be part of creating positive change,” says Jesper Brodin, CEO Ingka Group.

Many of the solutions to tackle the climate crisis exists but need to be implemented at scale. In September 2023 during Climate Week in New York, Ingka Group hosted its first Action Speaks Summit which featured impactful climate solutions from over 30 companies that covered areas including food, transport, energy, and nature.

At COP28, Ingka Group, through CEO Jesper Brodin and CSO Karen Pflug will actively take part in key events at the Summit to share actions and advocate for the goals, policies, investments, and actions that will accelerate the transition to a net-zero society.

In the lead up to COP28 Ingka Group has advocated for more ambitious climate action with key partners such as the We Mean Business coalition and the WEF Alliance of CEO climate leaders. The company was among 130 businesses to sign the We Mean Business Fossil to Clean letter urging governments to ramp up clean energy at pace, and to phase out the use and production of fossil fuels. The letter was the first time so many businesses urged national governments to address the primary cause of climate change: burning fossil fuels.

In response to a new report published by the World Economic Forum, The State of Climate Action stating a major course correction is needed with global emissions currently rising by 1.5% per year, the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders**, including Ingka Group CEO, Jesper Brodin signed an open letter outlining policies and actions needed to bring about emissions cuts, including the phase-out of fossil fuels and scale-up of renewable energy.

“What we do now will shape what lies ahead of us and we can’t leave this to the next generation to fix. As we have just seen from our new People & Planet Consumer Insights study, people are increasingly taking climate actions in their daily lives where they can, but two out of three people also want governments and businesses to take significant action to reduce climate change. As a business we know we have an important role to play in sending a clear signal about our future energy use, which is why we have already invested and committed more than 4 BEUR in renewable energy to support a rapid phase out of fossil fuels. We are also developing climate transition action plans, investing in net-zero solutions, and disclosing our progress. We know that climate action is good for business now and in the future,” says Karen Pflug, Chief Sustainability Officer, Ingka Group.

POLICY ASKS – Ingka Group urges all governments to consider the following policy asks to lay the groundwork to transform the global energy system and halve emissions this decade:

  • Set targets and timelines for the phase-out of fossil fuelsin line with 1.5°C, supported by national plans and policies to ensure a just transition for affected workers and communities. Wealthier countries have the responsibility to be first movers and support other countries in their efforts.
  • Accelerate the clean energy transition by committing to reach 100% decarbonized power systems by 2035 in advanced economies, and by 2040 for other countries, at the latest.
  • Support countries in the Global South in diversifying their energy systems and developing 1.5°C-aligned economic pathways, including through the provision both of finance that does not exacerbate unsustainable sovereign debt, and of capacity-building for just transition planning.
  • Ensure clear pricing signals through a meaningful price on carbon that reflects the full costs of climate change — and reform and repurpose fossil fuel subsidies toward energy efficiency, renewable energy and other measures to support a people-centered and equitable clean energy transition.  Leadership from policymakers, alongside coordinated actions from finance and fossil fuel producers, will enable us, as energy users, to develop and deploy the climate solutions of the net-zero economy.

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

To read more about Ingka Group’s new People & Planet Consumers insights study please visit Ingka.com or read the infographic summary.

Read more about Ingka Group’s sustainability performance and commitments in the Annual & Sustainability Summary report.

*IKEA is committed to the Paris Agreement and to contribute to limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This includes a commitment to reducing absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the value chain by at least 50% by 2030, compared to a 2016 baseline, and to reach net-zero emissions by the latest 2050 without using carbon offsets. In addition, to become climate positive, we will remove and store carbon through forestry and agriculture along with contributing to additional reductions in society by going beyond our value chain. Read more about the IKEA commitment here

**The Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders is a community representing over 120 global CEOs in 26 countries and 12 industries, all committed to delivering corporate climate action in line with the Paris Agreement. The Alliance aims to reduce one gigaton of emissions – equivalent to the size of Japan’s annual emission output and is the only CEO-led community in the world aiming to drive change spanning the entire supply chain.

[1] The first-ever global stocktake is set to conclude at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) at the end of this year. The global stocktake is a process for countries and stakeholders to see where they’re collectively making progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement – and where they’re not.

[i] BCG-WEF Project: CEO Climate Leaders | BCG

 

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. 

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For further information, journalists and media professionals can contact us at press.office@ingka.com or by calling +46 70 993 6376.

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