A lampshade made of leftover rice straw, a tablecloth of recycled plastic including some washed up from the Mediterranean Sea, plastic bottles turned into kitchen fronts.

Flat-pack furniture retailer Ikea is among the companies most praised on sustainability, bringing out these products and more. It was the first big chain to stop selling halogen lightbulbs, instead stocking only less energy-intensive LED lights. It owns nearly 1m solar power modules and more than 500 wind turbines, putting it in touching distance of its 2020 goal of generating all its energy from renewable sources.

But Jesper Brodin, chief executive of the largest Ikea retailer, admits “we are still having internal debates over the fear of greenwashing”. It is a striking admission on just how hard business action on sustainability can be, when even a corporate pioneer still questions itself.