23 Reasons to be hopeful for 2023
Heavy lifting by our partners let us enter 2023 with slightly lighter hearts. The IKEA Foundation is proud to spotlight their hard work. Read about 23 of their positive breakthroughs...
Employment & Entrepreneurship
We are committed to championing green entrepreneurs who provide employment and meaningful livelihoods for people living in poverty while protecting the planet.
Our global economic systems have generated wealth and created employment. But this has come at the cost of huge environmental damage. Right now, we are consuming the resources of close to two planet Earths—a model of consumption that is clearly unsustainable.
At the same time, social and economic inequalities are increasing. More and more young people are entering the labour market every year to compete for a shrinking pool of jobs. In some countries in East Africa and South Asia, young people face a 20-80% shortfall in work opportunities. Unemployment not only traps families in poverty but also makes them more vulnerable to exploitation and forced migration.
We must enable people to earn a decent income to lift themselves and their families out of poverty, in a way that also protects our planet.
We believe that it’s possible to balance economic growth with environmental protection. We can do this by moving toward green, inclusive and localised economies that work for the benefit of both people and planet.
Green entrepreneurs are a dynamic force who can help shift our economies in the right direction. They have the power to turn environmental challenges into new business opportunities.
That’s why we support entrepreneurs who address social and environmental problems, who rely on local resources, develop them to meet the needs of local communities and who want to grow their enterprises to create jobs and economic activities for others.
Green entrepreneurs can also change mindsets by being change agents and encouraging people to consider the environmental impact of the things they buy. This increases demand for green products and services, boosting employment and environmental gains.
As well as supporting green entrepreneurs to form and grow successful businesses, we also invest in programmes that create conditions in which they can thrive. This means working with governments, business associations and cooperatives, sharing knowledge and bringing together like-minded organisations to achieve greater results.
We believe green entrepreneurs have the potential to resolve some of the world’s most pressing challenges: rising unemployment, mounting environmental pressures and increasing inequalities. We want to support them to help build fair, just and sustainable economies that benefit families and protect the planet for future generations.
