Ikea has made a promise to cut carbon emissions from its production by 80 per cent in absolute terms by 2030 from their levels two years ago.
The new pledge pertains to Ikea’s own factories and most of its direct suppliers, the owner of the retailer’s intellectual property and supply chain arm, Inter Ikea, said in a statement.
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In 2016, the Swedish furniture giant said its direct suppliers and factories released 3.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.
Ikea will now aim to cut that figure down by 80 per cent by 2030.
The pledge comes days before world leaders meet in Katowice, Poland for a UN climate meeting that is being billed as the most important since the 2015 Paris summit, where 195 countries pledged to limit a rise in global temperatures to 2C.
“I hope for a leadership that steps up, sets clear targets and dares to nail a number of commitments without us having all the solutions,” Inter Ikea chief executive Torbjorn Loof told Reuters.
“That goes for governments, businesses and other players,” he said.
Ikea produces around 10 per cent of its range itself while the rest are sourced from suppliers.
Loof said the retailer would achieve the new target with efficiency across production and shifts to renewable energy, such as biomass-based for the energy-intensive particle-board production.
Other key changes includes a shift towards more lightweight materials, and tests of a new glue, which could shave off up to six per cent from its emission levels.
Ikea is one of 400 firms, which includes fellow Swedish retail giant H&M, that have made a UN-backed pledge to limit global warming to below 2C.
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