About

Well I’m 47 years of age …… and I now seem to be acquiring grey tints that take an age to get in every morning!!

I’m the oldest of four boys and although not the greatest academic I was always an outdoors and nature sort of lad at school. The foundation of my love of nature and the outdoors was my time in the Scouts movement where I was a cub through to Venture Scouts (they call them Explorers these days!)

I am divorced (sadly) and have 3 wonderful children (happily!!) Connor (12), Laura (9) and Niamh (9) are the apples of my eye and a contributor at times to the above mentioned tinting process.

We have real adventures together …….. our camper van (named Dobbin) takes us to music festivals; we’ve even explored the Hebrides and Orkneys in him the last two summer holidays.

I’m in training currently for the London Marathon (which is a life goal) and like to keep fit. Horse riding is something I enjoy too. I’m eclectic in all my tastes in music, food, art books……. I’ll try anything!

I have had a varied working life. I was a member of the Armed Forces for seven years serving overseas. In the army, camping is demand of the job, not a holiday choice!! However, the opportunities to do Outward Bound and adventurous training came my way and enhanced my knowledge and love of the outdoors. Special moments were mountaineering in Pakistan and getting my Mountain Leadership certificate in Norway.

With my time served, I worked in the public sector and then into Security and Risk Management within retail.

In 1995 I joined the IKEA organisation working in the Risk, Health and Safety area before an interest in Environmental matters brought me into Environmental management for IKEA UK. We wanted to start recycling, but the infrastructure in the UK then (and even now) needed to be improved. I saw we were wasting materials and money, so began to implement a very basic waste management system.

Over the last 13 or so years, the main focus of my work has been store operations including waste management, energy conservation and resource efficiency, now though, with our work at a good level, it’s time to start, in this small way, to talk about it.

What I’m looking at now is the implementation of renewable energy into IKEA UK and Ireland units, and a green travel strategy.

If you ask why I do my work? Why am I passionate about it? Well, put quite simply, it’s because of my children. I’m convinced that they and their children will see the affects of climate change and the environmental degradation due to the actions of my generation. As far as I’m concerned, we are being neglectful on our watch!!

Al Gore said in the film ‘The Inconvenient Truth’ “People when discussing climate change go from denial to despair without stopping in the middle and considering actually doing something!!” When my grandchildren are at my knee and they say “Well granddad, what did you do in the great ‘Eco War’???”…… maybe I’ll be able to tell them I did something.

And why IKEA? If I’m such a passionate environmentalist … why not Greenpeace or another activist group, climbing oil rigs or trees?? ……..

Well, I see IKEA as part of a potential solution and forward thinking in its approach applying high standards in the UK and Ireland market, with a track record that I’m proud of. Working on the inside of a ‘big brand’ company and helping facilitate change rather than banging on the door from the outside. Some of the most recent landmarks I’m particularly proud of are:

– Support IKEA UK stores at 85% recycling levels (2009)

– Supported energy consumption reduction of 25% (2009)

– Supported introduction of renewable energy technologies to stores (2008/9)

– Honda Hybrids introduced to replace vehicle fleet (2007)

– Supported opening of IKEA Dublin with 2.2 million euro renewables investment immediate cost neutral operations and a 90% recycling rate (2009)

– Successful award of Carbon Trust Standard for IKEA UK (2009)

    …………… and, who knows, when I’m not making a difference on the inside of this company, my mountaineering skills could be useful for climbing oil rigs or trees!!

    If you’d like to get in touch – head to my contact page, here.

    Charlie Browne
    Environment Manager for IKEA UK and Ireland