Critical Lens: How IKEA plunders the planet

In the framework of Planet 4 Biodiversity project (P.Nº: 101082212, funded by Horizon Program) and Yound Demo project (P.Nº: SEP-210833021, funded by CERV Program) seven young people got together to watch a documentary, part of the Outdoor Cinema Sessions “Critical Lens”. The aim of the session was to spread awareness about the importance of biodiversity for the overall quality of human life and the interdependence and coexistence of different species on Earth. In order to intervene with urban youth on this topic, research has pointed to documentary viewing as a potential effective tool. Therefore, we set up the place, put up the screen and watched a documentary, followed by a small critical reflection on the content watched. To add to the evaluation of the impact, participants also answered a survey before and after watching the documentary.

The film focuses on the activities of the multinational giant IKEA, a brief history of the company since its founding and rise in the international market, with special reference to its consequences on the diversity of plant species on planet Earth, and its the impact on the drastic reduction of the number of trees in Europe, which play an important role in the ecosystem.

At the very beginning of the session, participants took part in a short survey, in order to gain insight into their general knowledge and attitudes on the topic of biodiversity, and to check whether there were certain changes in attitudes by the end of the movie. The survey was comprised of 10 questions: How would you assess your knowledge of biodiversity?; How do you primarily inform yourself about this topic?; To what extent, in your opinion, is biodiversity important for the health of our planet?; Do  you believe that you have a role in biodiversity preservation and enhancement?; Have you ever changed your purchasing decisions based on a company’s environmental practices?; How aware are you of IKEA’s sustainability practices?; What is your opinion on IKEA’s impact on biodiversity?; and How effective do you think a documentary is in raising awareness about the importance of sustainable practices for biodiversity? 

Looking at the results of the first survey, it could be concluded that the participants did not have any deep knowledge on the topic; that they were informed primarily through social media and documentaries (almost 80 percent were primarily informed through these sources); they were not very familiar with the activities of IKEA; and that they were neutral when it came to the impact of themselves on the conservation and improvement of biodiversity

After the movie, during the critical reflection, most participants shared they had no knowledge about the negative aspects of IKEA for the environment, as well as the methods that the company uses to conquer new markets and build an image of itself as an environmentally conscious company, which shows itself as taking steps to prevent the harmful consequences of its actions. Indeed, the concept of greenwashing (which is a form of advertising or marketing spin that deceptively uses green marketing to persuade the public that an organization’s products, goals, or policies are environmentally friendly) was present thorought the movie, and felt by the viewers.

Different opinions were expressed on the interesting parts of the film, on the problems of the consumer society in general, on the struggle of citizens of different European countries to preserve their environment and the conversation that is being conducted on this topic at the level of the institutions of the European Union. One of the participants also presented a critique of the film, which referred to a critique of private enterprise and economic freedoms in general.

The re-examination through the survey was conducted after the end of the film and it showed some changes in the attitudes of the participants:

While a minority thought they had some impact on biodiversity in the first survey (14.3%), that number has now increased significantly (to 50%).

Their views on IKEA’s overall impact on biodiversity also changed: from 14.3% of negative views at the beginning of the session, to 66.7% at the end of the session.

Also, almost 100% of the participants in the repeated survey stated that documentary films can be a very important factor in spreading citizens’ awareness of the importance of preserving biodiversity.

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