Climate Week Zurich: How retail giant IKEA built the business case for sustainability

All Things Sustainable is the official podcast of the inaugural Climate Week Zurich taking place May 4-9, and all week we're bringing you special daily episodes from Zurich.  

In our fourth episode of the week, we're talking to a leader who spent 30 years working for Swedish retail giant IKEA: Jesper Brodin. Jesper recently retired after eight years as CEO of Ingka Group, the primary operator of IKEA's global home furnishing stores, and in March 2026 he was named Board Chair of The Earthshot Prize. 

Climate Week Zurich includes a focus on how sustainability can build competitive advantage, and in our interview Jesper explains how his career continuously showed him that companies can embrace sustainability without sacrificing economic benefits, quality or affordability. 

"It actually is a good business to be a good business," he says.   

To navigate geopolitical headwinds, Jesper says sustainable businesses need to strike the right balance between near-term and long-term thinking. "I think a long-term view gives you perspective. Then I think you should operate with a short-term anxiety and drive," Jesper says. "Governments and presidents will come and go, but the issues about climate change and about resource scarcity will remain."   

William Prince of Wales launched The Earthshot Prize in 2020 to find and scale innovative solutions to the world's biggest environmental challenges by 2030. Listen to our previous interviews with an Earthshot Prize winner and finalist here:  

How Earthshot Prize winner Coral Vita tackles reef restoration | S&P Global 

Climate Week, meet Fashion Week | S&P Global 

The All Things Sustainable podcast will be back with more special coverage from Climate Week Zurich tomorrow, so please stay tuned. 

Learn more about events S&P Global is hosting during Climate Week Zurich: Climate Week Zurich 2026 : Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity | S&P Global 

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