Shared environmental

responsibilities
KAMIL ISSA
Why is shared responsibilities important?

 According to Brundtland Commission from 1987, approach that focuses on pollution

control is not enough to reduce pollution to needed levels. This approach has resulted
in extra costs while the problem remained.
 For example, we may control wastewater at outlet and remove dirt from water before it
is discharged to the sea, but what do we do with the dirt?
 Due to this, we have to change our approach from controlling pollution to preventing
pollution by addressing the source of pollution.
 However, enforcing this can not be achieved without involvement and consent from
businesses.
 As a result, businesses and authorities have to cooperate to reach the goals needed to
prevent pollution, leading to agreements between businesses and authorities on mutual
responsibilities.
Why are shared environmental
responsibilities important?
Quote
 What is shared environmental
responsibilities?
 Usually, environmental agreements are signed by a business or businesses to
implement legislations set by the authorities to protect the environment.
 Shared environment responsibility can be legally binding (ex: EAs in Dutch
NEPP) or voluntary.
 Businesses often have the responsibility to reduce pollution from their activities
by producing safe and sustainable products. They may also need to report their
progress within specific timeframes.
 Governments have the responsibility to create the right political frameworks for
the market economy. Those frameworks must promote sustainability.
 Example of implementation

 Inter IKEA group signed an agreement with UN Climate Change at COP25

conference in 2019.This is an example of cooperation between a company and an
international organization as an authority.
 In this case, the role of the UN is releasing a framework that promotes sustainable
practices by countries and individual companies in order to limit global
temperature increase to 1.5 degrees by 2100.
 Furthermore, responsibilities include improving public understanding of the issue.
Sometimes, the UN must provide technical assistance, knowledge transfer and
financial contributions.
 Example of implementation

 The responsibility of Ikea, on the other hand, is to take concrete steps to reduce
pollution in line with UNFCCC goals.
 It is also responsible In sharing ideas about sustainability and report progress in
UN conferences to encourage other companies to do the same.
 To implement UN goals, IKEA is aiming to become climate positive and
implement circular economy by 2030.
 This will be done by using 100% renewable energy, by removing carbon from
atmosphere through reforestation, restoration of degraded forests and
implementing better forest management practices.
 What did I learn?
 I learned that sharing environmental responsibilities is important because often
authorities need to cooperate with businesses in order to achieve environmental
goals, and IKEA is at the forefront when it comes to companies’ environmental
goals.
 Although sharing environmental responsibilities has lead to results, more needs to
be done since according to UN COP27, temperatures have already risen bi 1.15
degrees since 1990, and limiting the increase to 1.5 degrees by 2100 is becoming
more unlikely.
 Nowadays, politicians are shifting from regulations to market oriented solutions,
such as taxes, levies and tradable permits. This may be a positive step since it
takes into better consideration companies’ economic interests, possibly
encouraging companies to do more when it comes to saving the environment.
 In closing

 This work could be used for purposes such as research, teaching and studying by
students, professors, researchers, etc. Furthermore, it can be used to raise
awareness about climate change and the need to fight it more effectively through
sharing environmental responsibilities.
 People can use this work to understand the meaning of shared environmental
responsibilities and an example of how it is implemented by IKEA and the UN.
This information may be useful for future entrepreneurs.
 Looking at this work, one can expect to understand why sharing environmental
responsibilities is important, what is shared environmental responsibilities (key
ideas), how IKEA is living up to its responsibilities and whether there have been
results since implementation.
 sources

 Environmental_Policy_Legal_and_Economic_Instruments.pdf (rtu.lv)
 COP25 IKEA joins forces with UN Climate Change to promote climate action
 IKEA to Present Path to Become 'Climate Positive' at COP25 | UNFCCC
 UN Climate Change Partnerships | UNFCCC
 IKEA invests 200 million euros to speed up action to become climate positive by
2030
 COP27: Delivering for people and the planet | United Nations