Q&A: What is IKEA Doing to Decarbonise its Operations?

IKEA is continuing to deepen its focus on sustainability and responsible business conduct, driving initiatives that embed environmental and social considerations into daily decision-making across its global footprint.

In Canada, these efforts are being led by Peter Jones, Head of Sustainability at IKEA Canada, who joined the company in January 2026. He brings a wealth of international experience across finance, operations and business performance, having worked in the UK, Canada and Sweden.

Throughout his career, Peter has prioritised integrating sustainability into core business strategy, ensuring that environmental and social factors are built into performance metrics, resource allocation and long-term value creation.

Before joining IKEA Canada, he headed Sustainability Analytics & Impact at Ingka Group, where he played a key role in embedding sustainability into strategic planning and decision-making across the organisation. He has also supported organisations through Ikano Insight, helping them design and implement sustainability strategies with measurable results.

In his current position, Peter is focused on progressing IKEA Canada’s sustainability agenda while supporting the company’s ambition to create a better everyday life for many Canadians. This involves working closely with co-workers, customers, partners and communities to scale solutions that are accessible, affordable and deliver meaningful impact for both people and the planet.

In this Q&A, Peter shares his perspectives with Energy Digital.

What are IKEA Canada’s sustainability priorities?

Our approach is guided by three interconnected priorities: Healthy & Sustainable Living, Climate, Nature & Circularity and Fair & Equal.

These pillars shape how we design products, operate and engage with society.

Healthy & Sustainable Living focuses on helping Canadians live more sustainably at home.

While many want to make better choices, barriers such as cost and convenience can stand in the way.

We aim to close that gap with solutions across our range made with sustainable materials and designed to be affordable, practical and desirable – from water-saving taps to plant-based food, reusable food storage and air purifiers that support wellbeing.

Climate, Nature & Circularity focuses on addressing climate change, resource use and biodiversity loss.

We aim to embed circular thinking from the design stage so products can be reused, repaired or recycled, while reducing emissions across our operations and value chain.

Fair & Equal reflects our commitment to the people connected to our business and in the communities we serve.

This includes advancing diversity and inclusion, upholding human rights through our IWAY framework, building partnerships across Canada and supporting local neighbourhoods.

Together, these priorities require collaboration to create meaningful impact at scale.

How is IKEA Canada supporting the circular economy?

Circularity is an important part of our business.

We design products with their full lifecycle in mind, prioritising renewable and recyclable materials where possible and enabling repair, reuse and recycling, in line with our Democratic Design approach.

We bring this to life through services that make circular living easy and more affordable.

Our Spare parts program supports repair, Sell-back extends product life and our omnichannel As-is marketplace offers preloved IKEA products at reduced prices.

Partnerships also play a key role.

Through Furniture Bank, we redirect gently used home furnishings to local families in need and our collaboration with WWF-Canada links circularity to climate and nature action.

So far, this fiscal year, we’ve diverted more than 78.9% of operational waste from landfill, reflecting strong progress toward our 2030 zero-waste goal.

What is the company doing to decarbonise operations?

Decarbonisation is a key priority across energy, transport and operations.

We’ve invested significantly in renewable energy, including two wind farms in Canada that generate more electricity than we consume, as well as nearly 17,000 rooftop solar panels across the country.

Transportation is another major focus. In August 2025, 72% of our big and bulky home deliveries were completed using zero-emission trucks, surpassing combustion engines for the first time.

Our ambition is to exceed 90% zero-emission deliveries by 2028.

We’re also supporting more sustainable choices by expanding EV charging infrastructure at our stores and fulfilment units for customers and delivery partners.

These efforts contribute to our global ambitions to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050.

How is IKEA Canada creating sustainable food systems?

Food plays an important role in our sustainability agenda.

We’re making sustainable food choices more accessible by expanding plant-based options like plant balls and veggie dogs, while maintaining responsible sourcing standards.

We’re also tackling food waste.

Through Second Harvest, we donate surplus food from our Swedish Food Markets and through Too Good To Go, we offer excess restaurant meals at discounted prices.

Additionally, we support customers in reducing waste at home through products like reusable food containers and waste sorting solutions, as well as inspiration through our Sustainable Living Shops.

What sustainable progress has the company made since introducing its sustainability initiatives?

We’ve made strong progress in our sustainability journey and while we know there is always more work to be done, we’re proud of our momentum

Our renewable energy investments mean we now generate more electricity than we consume, while our solar installations continue to expand.

At the same time, our transition to zero-emission home deliveries is accelerating.

In circularity, we’ve expanded services like Sell-back and As-is, while diverting more than 78.9% of operational waste from landfill, marking progress toward our 2030 goal.

Our partnerships have further extended our impact – we collaborate with and support values-aligned organisations such as Furniture Bank, Habitat for Humanity, Rainbow Railroad and WWF-Canada.

Just as importantly, sustainability is embedded in the everyday customer experience through our products, food and in-store inspiration.

This reflects a broader shift: sustainability is not a separate initiative, but a core part of how IKEA Canada operates and continues to deliver value to the many Canadians.