LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT IN SUSTAINABILITY A vision for sustainability In keeping with the mood music that is playing in many boardrooms , Jesper ’ s vision for Ingka Group is one of sustainable development .
He is a member of the World Economic Forum and advocates for wider climate commitments across the global retail sector .
IKEA ’ s sustainability targets include :
• Offering 50 % plant-based meals in its restaurants by 2025
• Only sourcing renewable or recycled materials by 2030
• Phasing out plastic packaging by 2028
• Becoming ‘ climate positive ’ by 2030 , by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions more than the company ’ s supply chain emits , without relying on carbon offsetting .
Jesper says that the company is also being more sustainable by changing the way its furniture is built :
“ We are now replacing fittings with smart click-solutions , instead of screws , which has an immense impact from a sustainability point of view , because we are using fewer materials .”
He adds that , from the outset of his time with IKEA , employees “ were taught that wasting resources was a sin ”.
He says : “ So if you look at our tradition and history , long before anybody could spell sustainability , it was about reducing air in the packages , filling up the containers , making a flatpack .
“ The only way IKEA can be successful in the future is to be in a hurry to get sustainable . We need to get smarter on how we use energy and materials across the whole value chain . And that ’ s the only way we will be able to be affordable .”
28 August 2024