Jesper Brodin is CEO of Ikea-franchisee Ingka Group. The furniture giant has consistently rolled out policies to reduce its carbon footprint, including in 2023 when it began replacing fossil-fuel-derived glues with bio-based adhesives in its products, setting an industry example. Brodin is also the co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders.
What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government, needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?
We need collaboration across borders, governments, industries, companies, and society. The climate crisis is not a distant threat, it’s rather a living reality for billions of people, and it requires radical collaboration and new ways of working. In collaboration we need speed and courage among all leaders. Time is not on our side, and we need to take some risks and support each other to save the home we all share, the planet.
What is a climate technology that isn’t getting the attention or funding it deserves?
There are three clear transformations that need to happen: energy, mobility, and circularity. With the first two, we are well on the way. We see major funding going into these two areas. But we don’t see the same for circularity. Circularity needs to happen for us to be able to reuse waste and create new from old. With funding in circularity, we will have more sustainable production and consumption, which is an area that fundamentally needs to transform for us to reach a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.
What’s the most important climate legislation that could pass in the next year?
We must end fossil-fuel subsidies and set a target to fully phase out use of fossil fuels so that we can drastically reduce carbon and at the same time secure a just transition for people. Everything we do must be good for people and the planet.
Correction, 11/17
The original version of this story misstated the relationship between Ingka Group and Ikea. Ingka Group is a franchisee of Ikea, not its owner.
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