Ingka Launches "Action Speaks" As a Climate Solution

September 24, 2024  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

With five years to go to deliver to the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to below 1.5°C the Action Speaks platform aims to be part of inspiring many more to take climate action. Developed in close collaboration with Project Drawdown* a world-leading, nonprofit resource for climate solutions and the World Economic Forum** where the platform is hosted – on Forum Spaces – a collaboration that was first announced in January during the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting.

Jesper Brodin, CEO, Ingka Group said. “To spark real change, it’s action that speaks the loudest. What started as an idea, just over 12 months ago, is now an open platform for other businesses to be inspired by and contribute to, no matter their size. Companies and businesses are committing and taking climate actions like never before but there is a gap we need to fill between awareness, scaling and implementation of solutions. This is why we have developed this open-source platform where everyone can take inspiration, copy and learn. We believe that open-source innovation holds power to lift and shift entire industries: it is good business to be a good business, and we encourage companies to register and get involved.”

Aileen Lerch, director of sustainability at Allbirds, said, “We believe businesses have an obligation and a unique opportunity–to take near-term action to reduce their climate impacts. And while many organizations are making great steps, we’re in need of great, bold strides that are only made possible by working together. Collaborative communities and platforms like Action Speak are key to maximizing positive impact. We are thrilled to join Action Speaks’ community and share our learnings from our near decade of carbon reduction work, including the toolkit used to create M0.0NSHOT Zero, the world’s first net zero carbon shoe.”

The platform focuses on available, scalable and impactful climate solutions in six areas; How we Eat, – Move, Grow, Make, Power and Finance. Any company can apply to become a member of Action Speaks, when approved they can submit initiatives and solutions they want to showcase and share. Once the initiative is approved it will be available on the platform as a good example. A good example needs to be existing, scalable, viable, impactful, scientific or have evidence-based contribution to be featured and shared on the platform.

Karen Pflug, chief sustainability officer, Ingka Group said, “We continue to see how the climate crisis is causing extreme weather events around the world, putting the lives of millions of people at risk with rising sea levels, wildfires, food shortages and water insecurity. As a multinational business operating in 31 countries, we believe that, together with partners, we can use our size and reach to play a role in accelerating climate action even further. We firmly believe the answer to the climate crisis is more collective climate action, so the openness to share these ideas, tool kits and collaborate on solutions on the platform will create real impact.”

Martin Pei from SSAB, the Nordic and US-based steel company said, “We are delighted to be involved with the Action Speaks platform. For us, it’s vital we share and collaborate, especially in such carbon emitting sector as steel. We have partnered with Vattenfall and LKAB in Sweden, to create HYBRIT – an effort to revolutionize steelmaking for the future to be largely fossil fuel free. The HYBRIT® technology replaces coking coal, traditionally needed for ore-based steelmaking, with fossil-free electricity and hydrogen. The result is the world’s first fossil-free steelmaking technology, with virtually no carbon emission footprint. Instead of CO2, the process emits H2O. Our goal is to reduce Sweden’s CO2 emissions by 10% and Finland’s by 7%.”

SSAB will offer fossil-free steel to the market by 2026
There are currently over 40 new sustainable climate solutions and toolkits shared on the platform and some examples include:
· Minesto – Ocean renewable energy underwater kite: Underwater kites that fly faster than the stream to generate electricity by tidal streams and ocean currents. The kites (power plants) are lightweight yet powerful, substantially reducing the need for material. The technology is installed submerged, so they are not visible or disruptive to ocean views. To make the energy transition affordable, the world needs to add new renewables to balance the intermittency of wind and solar. Minesto | Renewable energy. From the ocean.
· Home Planet Fund – Women’s Empowerment for Climate Mitigation and Adaptation across the South Pacific: The only women-led regional alliance focused on strengthening the collective power of diverse Pacific women in responding to disasters and the climate crisis. Shifting the Power Coalition funds nature-based solutions that heal the landscape and mitigate future climate impacts. That work may include growing crops that are more resistant to drought and sudden downpours, restoring seagrass and planting mangrove forests along the coasts to prevent erosion and absorb increasingly large storm surges. Pacific Island Climate Change Resilience – Home Planet Fund
· Eat Wasted – Upcycling Surplus Bread: Eat Wasted has found innovative and creative ways to save bread from being Wasted. Bread waste collected from industrial bakeries is processed into flour and turned into pasta for businesses and consumers. By repurposing surplus bread (the world’s most wasted food) into pasta, Eat Wasted keeps food within the food system, saving land, energy and water as well as emissions from biogas generation from food in landfills. Wasted Home – Eat Wasted | Feed People Food Waste.

As a business, IKEA is committed to reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions from the value chain by at least 50% by FY30 (compared to FY16 baseline) and reach net zero emissions by 2050, in alignment with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standard.

For more information on the new Action Speaks platform and event – Action Speaks: Join the Movement for Collective Climate Action

To collaborate or if you have an idea for Action Speaks you can email at actionspeaks@ingka.ikea.com or visit the Action Speaks member registration page: Become a member of Action Speaks