Ikea franchisee Ingka Group has launched ‘Action Speaks’, a platform for sharing climate solutions intended to inspire organisations to take environmental action and enact change.
Revealed at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday (17 January), the new tool intends to help close the awareness gap between business and organisations and the multitude of climate solutions coming to market on a regular basis.
The platform, which was developed in conjunction with WEF and will be hosted in the WEF Forum Spaces, builds on the success of Ingka Group’s Action Speaks Summit, which took place in September 2023. Held during Climate Week in New York, the summit featured climate solutions from over 30 companies, including Volvo, Harley Davidson, and Retour Matras.
Check out the Action Speaks platform here
The new resource is divided into different parts focusing on how we eat, power, move, make, and grow and includes solutions that have already been developed with the aim of being scaled up. From addressing food waste to enhancing energy efficiency, and protecting and restoring ecosystems, there are ideas that aim to inspire action and bring change for the good of the planet.
Speaking from Davos, Jesper Brodin, CEO of Ingka Group, said: “We are in the most important decade for climate action in history, and with 2023 now confirmed as the hottest year on record, only action will create the change we need to be on track with the Paris Agreement and 1.5 degrees.
“With this new platform we want to create a community of hope and encourage climate action at scale with real impact to support the transition to net-zero by 2050.”
He added: “We see people and companies are longing to contribute to change and to inspire with hope and solutions to create a positive impact on people and the planet. Solutions are out there, now we need to get many more to transition with speed to drastically reduce carbon emissions. Only together can we accelerate the implementation and scale the positive impacts.”
Karen Pflug, chief sustainability officer at Ingka Group, remarked: “Although many climate solutions from business already exist there is a gap when it comes to the awareness, implementation as well as the ability to inspire many more people to take action with speed and scale.
“We believe partnering with WEF can help to play a role in accelerating climate action and reach many across the private sector, governments, and individuals through collaboration and advocacy. We strongly encourage companies to register and get involved.”
During the meeting in Davos, it was also announced Ikea would become one of over 320 companies to sign up and commit to start making nature-related disclosures in its reporting, based on new recommendations published in September 2023 by the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures.
These recommendations aim to help businesses to integrate nature into decision making, and ultimately support a shift in global financial flows towards nature-positive outcomes. Other retail groups and consumer brands on the list include Breitling, Carrefour, and Kering.
[Image credit: Ingka Group]
