How we are working on global transformations for people and planet

The IKEA Foundation is dedicated to tackling two major challenges facing humanity: poverty and climate change. We believe we need significant changes, both big and small, to make a real impact.

Our commitment covers various areas like improving how we get food and energy, managing waste better, making buildings eco-friendly, helping refugees become self-reliant, talking about climate issues, and making road transport more sustainable. All these transformations connect and create a bigger impact together. Each step we take on the path to change must be just, equitable, and empowering for communities . People are at the heart of these changes, actively making a difference to create a better life on our planet.

These are the seven transformations we work on globally:

• Food System Transformation 
  Our food systems are not working for people and the planet. There are nearly 800 million people facing chronic hunger, up to a third of global emissions come from the food system and hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers are living in poverty. By adopting circular, regenerative and agroecological practices, we can transition to a food systems approach that respects the limits of our planet and ensures the wellbeing of people now and in the future. 
  
  We work with many different partners to support the transition to a more sustainable food system. For example, we’re working with BopInc O’Farms to transform food systems in Kenya and Ethiopia by supporting entrepreneurs working with food products that would otherwise be wasted.  
  With the Agroecology Fund we’re sharing and building evidence on how farmers can improve and secure their livelihoods through agroecology – the use of sustainable farming practices that enhance soil health and the natural environment. 
  And as part of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, a strategic alliance of philanthropies, we are working to accelerate the movement for agroecology and regenerative agriculture through coalition building and scientific insights.
  
• Energy System Transformation  
  Around 760 million people around the world lack access to energy, making it difficult to earn a decent income. At the same time, greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels are damaging the climate and the natural resources people depend on for their livelihoods. 
  By accelerating the shift to renewable energy, we can empower people to boost their incomes so they can afford a better life, while reducing emissions to combat climate change and protect the planet for future generations.  
  
  We support partners who harness the power of renewable energy to help people increase their income and improve their community’s education and healthcare services. For example, we are working with Carbon Trust to build innovative business models that stimulate renewable energy demand in rural Africa, boost sustainable jobs and reduce poverty through economic growth and empowerment of women. 
  Together with CLASP, we founded the Efficiency for Access Coalition to help people living in East Africa and India to improve the productivity of their livelihoods and reduce emissions by providing access to energy-efficient solar appliances, such as fridges and water pumps. 
  With Sustain+ we are bringing together organisations in India to develop renewable-energy solutions, share knowledge, and support more than 150 local partners in improving livelihoods through access to renewable energy.  
  
• Waste Transformation:
  We’re working with partners to revolutionise waste management, minimize environmental impact, and create avenues for economic growth within communities. 
  
  Together with WASTE we are engaging local actors in India to increase plastic recycling rates in cities while creating sustainable livelihoods for informal waste workers. 
  We’re working with VSO Nederland, together with Taka Taka Solutions, to build the green market in Kenya, supporting young entrepreneurs to grow waste enterprises, improve their income and protect the environment.  And with TechnoServe, we’re working to help green small and growing businesses in India become economically sustainable and increase their environmental impact.
  
• Built Environment Transformation:  
  Designing and producing sustainable and resilient affordable buildings for all and reducing the climate impact of building materials and construction. 
  
  We support the Clean Cooling Collaborative, which is shifting consumers and industries towards using climate-friendly cooling technologies, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Agreement. 
  And Healthcare Without Harm is focusing on decarbonising the healthcare sector, especially it’s buildings greenhouse gas emissions.
  
• Refugee Solutions Transformation:
  Together with our partners, we are developing innovative long-term solutions for refugees and displaced people to become economically self-reliant and fostering resilience in the face of climate change. 
  
  We’re working with the University of Oxford’s Refugee Led Research Hub to support East African researchers with lived experiences of displacement to become leaders in the field of refugee and forced migration studies.  
  We’re partnering with the Danish Refugee Council to pilot the Refugee Investment Facility (RIF), an innovative loan facility that leverages private sector financing to invest in displacement-affected communities in Uganda and Jordan. 
  Additionally, we are supporting the International Rescue Committee (IRC) with its Re:Build programme to enable urban refugees and vulnerable host residents to achieve economic self-reliance and benefit from strengthened urban economic, regulatory and social environments. 
  
• Climate Conversations Transformation:  
  With our partners we’re facilitating global dialogues and inclusive and just narratives, to raise awareness, influence policies, and empower communities to actively engage in climate action.  
  
  Our support to the Global Methane Hub demonstrates a worldwide, rapid need for a fossil fuel phase out.
  Our partner the Doc Society’s Climate Fund tells climate stories from the perspectives of people and communities who are underrepresented in current narratives. We believe it has the potential to help convince a much broader group of people to take bold climate action.  
  And together with SYLI we work to increase the impact of climate journalism by supporting local news organisations to engage people by increasing fact-based, engaging and solutions oriented stories on climate.
  
• Road Transport Transformation:  
  We’re working on ensuring a fair transition to clean, affordable road transportation, through vehicle electrification in emerging economies and innovative finance models to facilitate the electric transition.  
  
  Our partnership with the European Climate Foundation focusses on evidence research and policy advocacy in the sustainable road transport sector across countries, engaging with all parts of society – from financial institutions to businesses, private investors, and citizens.  
  
  And together with the Clean Air Fund, we improve the health of children and adults by tackling air pollution and accelerating climate action.