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Sustainability initiatives Climate action research

Climate action research

We have conducted research in different countries to understand how IKEA can help people take climate action in their everyday lives. 

Our ambition is to inspire and enable one billion people to live better lives within the limits of the planet, by 2030. It’s a huge, ambitious challenge. And we can’t do it alone. 

Learning how people think, feel and act on climate change 

Together with GlobeScan, a global insights and strategy consultancy, we turned to ask for help from people across the world.  The aim was to learn more about how people in different countries think, feel and act in relation to climate change. Through the research, we explore the motivators that can enable people to take more climate action, as well as the barriers that stop them.  

In 2018 we published the Climate Action Starts at Home report, giving an overview of findings from research conducted with 14,000 people in 14 countries.  

In 2020 we published an A3 infographic handout of further research, this time with 31,000 people across all 30 IKEA retail countries where Ingka Group operates.  

People want to take action and they need support 

The research studies have revealed lots of valuable new facts about climate action around the world. While there are some differences between people in each country, some common themes have emerged.   

  • Most people believe human activity is one of the causes of climate change
  • The vast majority of people are willing to take climate action, but they don’t know how they can help
  • People need more support and advice, and they are calling for Government and Business to step up and do more

Key motivators to inspire more action include:  

    • Painting a positive, hopeful vision – connecting actions with the potential for a better future for coming generations and the planet itself 
    • Highlighting the personal benefits, such as the connection between action that is good for the planet and for people’s health and wellbeing 
    • Providing enablers, such as advice, easy solutions, new technology and examples of what others are doing

Informing our work and inspiring others 

The insights we’ve learned from this work will inform what we do to inspire and enable millions of customers and thousands of IKEA co-workers to take positive action for the climate. 

We hope that the research can also inspire other businesses, policymakers and campaigners to join us and mobilise greater climate action among the many people, starting at home.

 

Read more about our initiatives to help us become more people and planet positive.