[2021 Mirae Company Forum] "IKEA Transforms into a People- and Earth-Friendly Company"

Frederik Johansson, CEO of IKEA Korea, is giving a lecture at the '2021 Asia Future Business Forum' hosted by Asia Economy on the 29th at the Western Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Asia Economy set this year's theme for the Future Business Forum as 'Korean-style ESG Solutions in the New Normal Era' and prepared a session to contemplate ways to enhance the value of our companies through expert lectures in the ESG field. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

"The project starting this year aims to transform IKEA into a sustainable company through a people- and planet-friendly approach."

Fredrik Johansson, CEO of IKEA Korea, said at the '2021 Asia Future Business Forum' held on the 29th at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul, "IKEA's goal is to actively respond to climate change and efficiently recycle resources through business innovation by 2030."

IKEA's business project is intended to support and inspire consumers to live better lives while protecting the global environment.

CEO Johansson stated, "To become a climate-positive company by 2030, we will raise our current 70% renewable energy usage rate to 100%, improving efficiency and minimizing waste to realize a circular economy."

He added, "We plan to introduce electric vehicles in 19 countries and achieve zero carbon emissions from all home deliveries by 2030," explaining, "To this end, we are currently working to convert 20% of all delivery vehicles to electric trucks by the end of this year."

Last year, IKEA produced renewable energy amounting to 132% of its consumption during management processes and extended the lifespan of a total of 39 million products through repackaging and resale. It also introduced 'IKEA Parmare,' an urban farm, in Korea?the first of its kind in global stores?providing sustainable food options.

CEO Johansson emphasized, "We are considering not only the environment but also how to be more inclusive and create new jobs for the elderly," adding, "We will transform into a truly inclusive company and build a platform that offers opportunities to everyone." As part of this, IKEA aims to achieve a 50-50 gender ratio among managerial positions and the same male-to-female ratio across all ranks.

This year, IKEA plans to expand its sustainability management strategy from 'Happier Homes' to 'More Inclusive Societies, Healthier Planet.' Last year, it donated over 60,000 IKEA products to vulnerable groups affected by COVID-19.

CEO Johansson said, "To encourage consumers to participate in sustainable home furnishing, we built the innovative experience space IKEA Lab near Seoul Forest last year," emphasizing, "Through this, we will inspire consumers to realize that eco-friendliness is not impossible."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.