New design competition will help families cope with climate change

April 22, 2017

Today, on Earth Day, the IKEA Foundation is announcing its support for a new global design competition—the Climate Action Challenge. We’re teaming up with Amsterdam-based design platform What Design Can Do and the Autodesk Foundation to run the challenge, which calls on designers and creative thinkers to find inspirational and practical ways to fight climate change and help people cope with its effects.

Aimed at students, professional designers and start-up businesses, the Climate Action Challenge will kick off on 23 May at What Design Can Do Live in Amsterdam. It will look for design solutions to help children and families living in communities vulnerable to a changing climate—focusing on their food, water, housing, health and energy needs.

The winning entrants, selected by an international jury, will be supported with funds and invited to join an acceleration programme to make their ideas happen.

“The collaboration with partners IKEA Foundation and Autodesk Foundation is unique”, says What Design Can Do founder Richard van der Laken. “Finding opportunities and creative tangible solutions within given limitations is what designers excel in. But we don’t just reach out to the global creative community to come up with solutions, together we also have real developing power.”

Per Heggenes, IKEA Foundation CEO, says: “We believe climate change represents a very significant threat to the future of children living in poor communities —and that innovative design can help their families cope and adapt. We see that the creative community is eager to make their contributions to efforts to tackle climate change. Stories of communities affected by droughts, typhoons or rising sea levels are implicitly asking creatives: which side are you on? This initiative will help creatives side with the many people and this is why we’re supporting the What Design Can Do Climate Action Challenge.”

The Climate Action Challenge builds on the success of last year’s Refugee Challenge, which attracted 630 entries from 70 countries. Five winning ideas were chosen, which are currently in development.

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http://www.whatdesigncando.com/

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Young people aren’t waiting for the just energy transition. They’re making it happen. 🌍💡 All over the world, a new generation is coming forward with bold ideas and community-driven solutions for a fairer climate future. There’s a young advocate pushing for transparency around mining in the Philippines. Friends are bringing solar power to a remote village in the Peruvian Amazon. A young engineer is helping girls lead renewable energy solutions in Burkina Faso. These stories show what a just energy transition can look like when local communities lead the way. With our partner, the #YouthClimateJusticeFund, we’re proud to support youth-led initiatives that turn ambition into real change. 👉 Meet the young leaders behind these solutions: link in bio. 💬 Have a youth-led climate solution to highlight? Share it in the comments. #YouthForClimate #ClimateJustice #JustEnergyTransition Image credit: Youth Climate Justice Fund
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Young people aren’t waiting for the just energy transition. They’re making it happen. 🌍💡 All over the world, a new generation is coming forward with bold ideas and community-driven solutions for a fairer climate future. There’s a young advocate pushing for transparency around mining in the Philippines. Friends are bringing solar power to a remote village in the Peruvian Amazon. A young engineer is helping girls lead renewable energy solutions in Burkina Faso. These stories show what a just energy transition can look like when local communities lead the way. With our partner, the #YouthClimateJusticeFund, we’re proud to support youth-led initiatives that turn ambition into real change. 👉 Meet the young leaders behind these solutions: link in bio. 💬 Have a youth-led climate solution to highlight? Share it in the comments. #YouthForClimate #ClimateJustice #JustEnergyTransition Image credit: Youth Climate Justice Fund
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What can change when agriculture and energy are planned together? 🌱🌍 Food systems depend on more than crops and climate — they’re shaped by people, supporting services, and the systems around them. Written last year, this article brings together insights from work and partnerships across Eastern Africa, co-written by Judith Jacobs from #SNV, and our co-workers, Ahmed Sameh and Nico Janssen. Today, nearly 20% of the world’s energy use goes into food systems, yet many farmers still lack the power, infrastructure, and services they need to adapt and thrive. These five reasons explain why bringing regenerative agriculture and renewable energy together can help make food production — and rural livelihoods — more resilient. 🔗 Read the full article, link in bio. The Power for Food Partnership works across Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Rwanda to bring these connections into practice — linking renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and cross-sector collaboration to support farmers and build more resilient, sustainable food systems. #IKEAfoundation #PowerForFoodPartnership #RegenerativeAgriculture #RenewableEnergy
1 month ago
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Did you know that methane emissions affect both the health of people and our planet? And here’s the fact we can’t forget: methane is 86x more potent than CO₂.But it’s also faster to remove from the atmosphere than CO₂ — meaning that reducing methane can deliver impact sooner. The good news? Solutions already exist, and with support from the IKEA Foundation, the #GlobalMethaneHub is helping scale effective ways to reduce emissions worldwide. 🔗 Spend a day with Henrique to learn more, link in bio. #IKEAfoundation #ClimateChange #ClimateAction
Did you know that methane emissions affect both the health of people and our planet? And here’s the fact we can’t forget: methane is 86x more potent than CO₂.But it’s also faster to remove from the atmosphere than CO₂ — meaning that reducing methane can deliver impact sooner. The good news? Solutions already exist, and with support from the IKEA Foundation, the #GlobalMethaneHub is helping scale effective ways to reduce emissions worldwide. 🔗 Spend a day with Henrique to learn more, link in bio. #IKEAfoundation #ClimateChange #ClimateAction
Did you know that methane emissions affect both the health of people and our planet? And here’s the fact we can’t forget: methane is 86x more potent than CO₂.But it’s also faster to remove from the atmosphere than CO₂ — meaning that reducing methane can deliver impact sooner. The good news? Solutions already exist, and with support from the IKEA Foundation, the #GlobalMethaneHub is helping scale effective ways to reduce emissions worldwide. 🔗 Spend a day with Henrique to learn more, link in bio. #IKEAfoundation #ClimateChange #ClimateAction
Did you know that methane emissions affect both the health of people and our planet? And here’s the fact we can’t forget: methane is 86x more potent than CO₂.But it’s also faster to remove from the atmosphere than CO₂ — meaning that reducing methane can deliver impact sooner. The good news? Solutions already exist, and with support from the IKEA Foundation, the #GlobalMethaneHub is helping scale effective ways to reduce emissions worldwide. 🔗 Spend a day with Henrique to learn more, link in bio. #IKEAfoundation #ClimateChange #ClimateAction
@ikea_foundation
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•
Follow
Did you know that methane emissions affect both the health of people and our planet? And here’s the fact we can’t forget: methane is 86x more potent than CO₂.But it’s also faster to remove from the atmosphere than CO₂ — meaning that reducing methane can deliver impact sooner. The good news? Solutions already exist, and with support from the IKEA Foundation, the #GlobalMethaneHub is helping scale effective ways to reduce emissions worldwide. 🔗 Spend a day with Henrique to learn more, link in bio. #IKEAfoundation #ClimateChange #ClimateAction
2 months ago
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In a world full of noise and misinformation, credible voices matter more than ever. That’s why nearly 800 @IKEA co-workers applied to join the 2025 IKEA Foundation Ambassador Programme — a journey that connects them with the people and partners the foundation supports as they tackle real-world challenges every day. Ambassadors listen, ask questions, and learn from those closest to the issues — building understanding they bring back to their teams and communities, where awareness grows and perspectives begin to shift. In 2025, the programme: 🌎 reached five hubs across four continents 🇰🇪 launched the first-ever Super Hub in Nairobi 🌟 welcomed 169 new ambassadors 🌱 grew a global learning community of 550+ people in 30+ countries These numbers reflect a growing curiosity — a desire to understand how change really happens and to hear directly from those working closest to the world’s toughest challenges. None of this learning happens without the insight and generosity of our partners. Their leadership continues to inspire and inform us. With our strategy now in motion, we’re doubling down on #ClimateAwareness at a moment when it matters most — and supporting partners creating solutions for people and planet. For 2026, that energy is even stronger: nearly 1,000 IKEA co-workers applied, and we’re excited to welcome 161 new ambassadors, with 38 more joining our Alumni Hub. We’re proud of what last year set in motion, and looking forward to what comes next. #IKEAfoundation #IKEAFoundationAmbassador
@ikea_foundation
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•
Follow
In a world full of noise and misinformation, credible voices matter more than ever. That’s why nearly 800 @IKEA co-workers applied to join the 2025 IKEA Foundation Ambassador Programme — a journey that connects them with the people and partners the foundation supports as they tackle real-world challenges every day. Ambassadors listen, ask questions, and learn from those closest to the issues — building understanding they bring back to their teams and communities, where awareness grows and perspectives begin to shift. In 2025, the programme: 🌎 reached five hubs across four continents 🇰🇪 launched the first-ever Super Hub in Nairobi 🌟 welcomed 169 new ambassadors 🌱 grew a global learning community of 550+ people in 30+ countries These numbers reflect a growing curiosity — a desire to understand how change really happens and to hear directly from those working closest to the world’s toughest challenges. None of this learning happens without the insight and generosity of our partners. Their leadership continues to inspire and inform us. With our strategy now in motion, we’re doubling down on #ClimateAwareness at a moment when it matters most — and supporting partners creating solutions for people and planet. For 2026, that energy is even stronger: nearly 1,000 IKEA co-workers applied, and we’re excited to welcome 161 new ambassadors, with 38 more joining our Alumni Hub. We’re proud of what last year set in motion, and looking forward to what comes next. #IKEAfoundation #IKEAFoundationAmbassador
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