Writing the post on Passive House certification and reviewing the required energy targets reminded me of the Swedish One Tonne Life project which I closely followed back in 2010 and 2011. You can watch their webisodes in English on YouTube here. The project has inspired millions of people including myself to make better decisions that help us lead a more climate-smart lifestyle.

The One Tonne Life Project

Eight years ago, Swedish companies, Volvo Cars, A-hus, Vattenfall and industry partners ICA and Siemens got together and initiated an experiment with the Lindells, a family of four, to see if it's possible to live a climate smart life without major compromises to our western lifestyle. Our transport, the way we live, our choices in activities and vacations, the food we eat, our shopping, and the energy we use in our every day life, all impact the carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint we emit.

Over a six month period, the Lindell family lived a climate-smart lifestyle with the aim of reducing their carbon dioxide emissions from 7.3 tons per person per year, which was roughly the average in Sweden, to a minimalistic 1 metric ton. The family traded in their 1970s home and their almost 10-year-old cars for a newly built, climate-smart wooden house from A-hus and an all-electric Volvo C30. Vattenfall provided renewable electricity, energy monitoring technology and energy coaching. ICA and Siemens were industry partners for food and household appliances respectively.

Why the Target of One Ton?

Following the target set by the nations of the world to limit global climate change by an average of two degrees Celsius (2°C), by 2060, with an estimated population of 10 billion people, we would need to limit carbon dioxide emission to 10 billion tons per year or 1 ton per person per year. Based on scientific studies, that means drastically reducing our emission by 75% from our current levels and becoming more aware of how the planet is being impact so as not to raise the earth's average temperature more than necessary.

Final Results

With the use of renewable energy, a high-performance house, an all-electric vehicle, and by making better climate-smart decisions, the Lindell family was able to comfortably reduce their CO2 emission down to 2.8 tons per person half way through the project without significant compromises to their lifestyle. With more aggressive reductions including living a vegan lifestyle, the Lindells in their final week was able to crossed the finish line just shy of their goal at 1.5 tons of CO2 emission per person.

[source] One Tonne Life Final Report

Breaking it down by category, the Lindells managed to reduce their CO2 emissions from transport by almost 95%, from food by 80%, from accommodation by 60% and in other areas by 50%. Across the board, this meant they successfully reduced their CO2 footprint by 75%.  You can get the full breakdown and anaylsis in the One Tonne Life Final Report.

Takeaway

Since the completion of the One Tonne Life project, there's been tremendous advances in electric vehicles and smart home technology much of which is now within the reach of the average person. By applying Passive House construction standards, building an electric vehicle (EV) ready home, installing renewable energy solutions like solar photovoltaic panels and using smart home technology and energy-efficient appliances, I hope the Long Branch Passive House will be a showcase for climate-smart living. But that alone is not enough to reduce our CO2 emissions to more sustainable levels. We also need to make better climate-smart decision in our everyday living. Small decisions like reducing your beef and dairy intake and replacing some of it with chicken could make a noticeable difference. The University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems published this Carbon Footprint Factsheet with recommendations for reducing your carbon footprint.