Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – The Case of IKEA

Anna Sörensson () and Navid Ghannad ()
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Anna Sörensson: University of Inland Norway
Navid Ghannad: Halmstad University

A chapter in Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, 2025, pp 185-195 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract “Sustainability has gone from a nice-to-do to a must do”, claimed Steve Howard, a former Chief of Sustainability Officer at the IKEA Group, in his 2013 TED Talk. Howard argued that people see sustainability as an important topic, but products should also be “easy, affordable and attractive” and “they expect the business to help” (Howard, 2013). Today, almost 10 years after Howard’s TED Talk, IKEA is still trying to address the issue of sustainability in its retail and service business. The company is the world’s biggest retailer of furniture, and it had 458 stores worldwide in 2021 (Statista, 2022). As such, IKEA has the chance to provide solutions for the problem of sustainability that Howard talked about. People want to be more sustainable, but they are often unwilling to invest in sustainable alternatives or too busy to compare the possibilities (Howard, 2013). By leveraging the global influence of IKEA, a substantial audience of consumers can be influenced towards more sustainable behaviours. The main problem is the linear economy mindset of taking-making-disposing. Raw materials are continuously being extracted, and a great deal of waste is produced. To limit waste, a new business model needs to be introduced.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-49597-7_12

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