According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), India generates 15 million tonnes of plastic annually yet only one fourth is recycled. Plastic waste is mostly dumped in the open or burnt, causing local environmental pollution and health issues. What’s more, waste workers who work daily to help solve this plastic problem face significant health issues and are unable to earn a decent living. Through the FINILOOP programme, the IKEA Foundation and WASTE, together with local partners, TOP and AspireLabs, are improving the livelihoods of some of India’s most vulnerable people while he ..read more

The IKEA Foundation helps many organisations accelerate their efforts in combating climate change. Facts and figures speak for themselves, but who exactly are the people behind this extraordinary work? In this storytelling series, we spotlight brave individuals who move mountains in their climate action strategies and solutions. Today: Thami Schweichler, United Repair Center and former winner of the What Design Can Do Refugee Challenge. I was born in São Paulo, Brazil. My mum is Dutch, and my father is Brazilian. In Brazil, you see wealth and poverty conflicting with each other in a very brut ..read more

For Dr. Catherine Mwema, the director of research and learning at BOMA, the devastating and ruthless impact of the global climate crisis is very personal. She talks about her experiences in a voice that is warm, comforting and slightly melodic, but also carries an uncompromising certainty about the severity of the situation. She explains, “I come from the Eastern part of Kenya, which, like many other parts of East Africa, has faced unprecedented drought over the past few years. This has really affected the communities where I come from. Every time I go home I see many families losing crops a ..read more

Buildings are the world’s biggest asset class and contribute nearly 40 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity. Yet less than 4 percent of climate philanthropic money goes to funding the transition to sustainable buildings. With its importance – to markets, people, and climate – why does the built environment get so little attention from climate philanthropy? Last week the first ever Buildings and Climate Global Forum was hosted in Paris by President Macron’s government. Ministries from 70 world governments – nearly 1,500 delegates in total – came together under one b ..read more

The IKEA Foundation is dedicated to tackling two major challenges facing humanity: poverty and climate change. We believe we need significant changes, both big and small, to make a real impact. Our commitment covers various areas like improving how we get food and energy, managing waste better, making buildings eco-friendly, helping refugees become self-reliant, talking about climate issues, and making road transport more sustainable. All these transformations connect and create a bigger impact together. Each step we take on the path to change must be just, equitable, and empowering for commun ..read more

Jessica Anderen, CEO of IKEA Foundation Today, on International Women’s Day, you might be expecting me to talk about my journey, my leadership and the importance of bringing women into leadership positions. And don’t get me wrong: the need for equal and balanced working environments is a very important topic (on every day of the year). But as I watch the news, talking to IKEA Foundation partners and coaching women in some very challenging parts of the world, I find myself thinking about all the women who don’t have my platform; women who aren’t able to share their story. Women are facing the b ..read more

The IKEA Foundation helps many organisations accelerate their efforts in combating climate change. Facts and figures speak for themselves, but who exactly are the people behind this extraordinary work? In this storytelling series, we spotlight brave individuals who move mountains in their climate action strategies and solutions. Today: Tom Trewinnard, Syli I was based in Egypt as a journalist in 2011 during the Arab Spring. It was a time of great social upheaval. As an early adopter of social media platforms, it felt like a moment when new digital connections were facilitating a meaningful con ..read more

A story about working in a fragile context and providing sustainability for future generations. by Rediet Abiy Kassaye, Programme Manager Refugee Livelihoods Dollo Ado I’m from Ethiopia but I’d never been to Dollo Ado, which is located in the Somali region in eastern Ethiopia. It is closer to the border between Ethiopia and Somalia. In fact, it’s closer to Mogadishu than Addis Ababa, so you can see how remote it can feel from Ethiopia’s central government. Dollo Ado is home to several refugee camps where the IKEA Foundation has worked with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, to improve the li ..read more

The IKEA Foundation helps many organisations accelerate their efforts in combating climate change. Facts and figures speak for themselves, but who exactly are the people behind this extraordinary work? In this storytelling series, we spotlight brave individuals who move mountains in their climate action strategies and solutions. Today: Emily Farnworth, Director of the Centre for Climate Engagement at Hughes Hall (University of Cambridge). I grew up in North Wales, in the UK. It’s a beautiful place, with mountains and lakes and stunning coastal areas. I had a personal desire to protect nature f ..read more

In the wake of recent findings – the result of ongoing analysis to help define the new Swedish climate targets – comes the stark realisation that Sweden will not meet the goals set for 2030.   But these concerns are not just limited to Sweden; we know the whole world is falling badly behind. We are halfway to the Paris Agreement. We only have six years left to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 35%. If we miss the 2030 target, we cannot reach net zero by 2050 and the damage to the planet will be irreversible. A huge part of the systemic change has to be driven by businesses. Our ..read more