Discover the (sustainable) possibilities!
In line with this slogan and the motto of the IKEA Foundation —“Promote Good. Celebrate the Best.”—the respective honors were awarded on Thursday, 17th October 2024, as part of IKEA’s 50th anniversary celebration. This year’s awards took on a unique twist, as “2024 saw IKEA employees take an active role in selecting the awardees”. The IKEA Foundation “supports initiatives, associations, and organizations striving to improve lives, society, and the environment. Among them are always projects we believe are not only deserving of support but worthy of recognition.” This year’s main award went to the Hospiz Mittelhessen in Wetzlar for its compassionate bereavement support for children and teenagers who have lost a parent or sibling. Our heartfelt congratulations on this award!
At the awards ceremony on 17th October 2024, in Munich: Cigdem Sales (IKEA Germany), Peter Takacs (Chairman of the IKEA Foundation), Julia Heffner and Petra Sattler (Parents’ Association of Premature and Ill Newborns), Peter Sänger (Green City Solutions), Monika Stumpf (Hospiz Mittelhessen), Philipp Heald (IKEA Germany), Sabine Nold (Managing Director of the IKEA Foundation), Anja Köhler (IKEA Foundation), Carmen Storbakken (Hospiz Mittelhessen) (from left to right)
In addition to the main prize, endowed with €25,000, two recognition awards of €5,000 each were also presented. We are proud and honored to receive one of these awards alongside the Mannheim Parents’ Association for Premature and Ill Newborns e.V. (Elternkreis Frühgeborene und kranke Neugeborene Mannheim e.V.), under the theme “Making a Difference with Moss”. Our CEO and co-founder proudly participated in the ceremony and accepted the award on behalf of our team.
Sabine Nold, Managing Director of the IKEA Foundation, commented: “I am truly inspired by people who dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to others and to the climate. It is a pleasure to support these projects through the IKEA Foundation Award.”
We thank the Foundation for its trust amidst such an inspiring group of nominees this year. They “showcase the extent of commitment, creativity, community spirit, and problem-solving capability within civil society“. Because “the future is what we create today”. With our “moss-based air filters”, designed to “mitigate the impacts of climate change in urban areas”, we strive to create cities that are livable, healthy, and green. As highlighted in our nomination, we have “developed a natural solution to address the challenges climate change brings to cities”. For instance, the moss in our CityTree filters fine dust from the air and binds CO₂.
“The Best is Yet to Come”
… a defining motto of IKEA’s founder Ingvar Kamprad and guiding principle of the IKEA Foundation. At Green City Solutions, we find this exceptionally inspiring. Indeed, creating sustainable, livable cities for the future is still a journey ahead of us. However, recognizing this challenge and beginning to address it are crucial first steps, as our CEO and co-founder Peter Sänger emphasizes (at “BNE”).
Celebrating 50 Years of IKEA in Germany
In October, there was even more to “Celebrate What Connects Us”, as 2024 is a landmark year for IKEA Germany. To commemorate its 50th anniversary, the company hosted a “jubilee event at the first German IKEA store in Munich-Eching” — welcoming over 160 guests from politics, business, media, and culture. The event included a “look ahead for IKEA in Germany”, featuring CEO and CSO Walter Kadnar of IKEA Germany, the Prime Minister of Bavaria, Dr. Markus Söder, and the Swedish Ambassador to Germany, Veronika Wand-Danielsson, alongside an engaging entertainment program. She remarked, “I am confident that IKEA and its employees will continue to pursue their ambition to evolve the company and embrace new challenges over the next 50 years—with clear visions and innovative solutions for greater sustainability”. Bavarian Prime Minister Dr. Markus Söder expressed his pleasure that “exactly 50 years ago, IKEA opened its first furniture store in Germany in Eching, Upper Bavaria”, marking the “beginning of a success story nationwide”.
IKEA Germany / Isa Foltin
Pioneering the Future
As Walter Kadnar announced, IKEA is committed to “continuing to lead the way and actively shape the future”. Among other goals, the company aims to “become fully circular by 2030″, to “cut CO₂ emissions by half”, and still maintain a strong customer focus. “Sustainability must be affordable for everyone — regardless of income. These are the advances needed to write tomorrow’s success story”, Kadnar added.