WWF unveils blueprint for eco-living

An existing OPL eco-village at Beddington in south London

Conservation group WWF Switzerland has announced plans to create eco-communities in Geneva to counter over-exploitation of the Earth's natural resources.

The organisation says it is in advanced negotiations with three of the city’s communes to construct thousands of homes meeting the strict ecological standards of its One Planet Living (OPL) label.

According to WWF Switzerland, the country requires the equivalent of three planets to sustain its needs. It wants to reduce Switzerland’s ecological footprint by 15 per cent over the next eight years and sees sustainable communities as the way forward.

Similar OPL projects are underway in eight other countries, including South Africa, China, Portugal and the United States. The programme, which is a joint initiative between WWF and the environmental organisation BioRegional, was launched in 2004.

The aim is to create communities that produce zero carbon emissions, no waste, have green transport systems and are built with sustainable materials.

Gaël Léopold, OPL coordinator for French-speaking Europe, said the construction costs would be around 3-8 per cent more expensive than a normal housing project. But the associated health and transport benefits plus reduced energy consumption would see the cost of living for residents fall by 15 per cent, he added.

Construction

“It has taken a long time – the first steps in sustainable construction were taken in the 1970s – but we are really now starting to reach a critical size where big companies are interested in sustainable development and sustainable construction,” he told swissinfo.

“The public is also ready for this. Studies show that most people would buy and accept to pay a premium for a ‘green’ house.”

However, Catherine Martinson, director of regional projects for WWF Switzerland, said there was still some way to go to persuade the Swiss population to live more ecologically.

“But I think with good projects we can overcome this. At the moment living ecologically feels like a constraint. It must be made agreeable and practical,” she said.

Urban planning

Martinson said other European countries such as Germany and Scandinavian nations were further ahead than Switzerland in this respect. She called on the Swiss authorities to take the lead in ensuring more sustainable urban planning, saying there was currently a lack of coordination.

“When I hear the mayor of London say he wants to decrease carbon emissions by 60 per cent, that’s something that would be unthinkable here. It’s too drastic for us because our culture is too conservative,” she said.

Léopold pointed to Britain’s largest eco-village, Beddington, south of London, as an example of what could be achieved. The £15 million (SFr36 million) project, completed three years ago, has attracted around 15,000 visitors.

“We will never have One Planet Living communities all over the world but the idea is to focus on key cities like Geneva, Paris, London, Durban, Washington and create flagship communities,” he said.

swissinfo, Adam Beaumont and Emily Wright in Lausanne

In brief

WWF believes that the One Planet Living project can reduce Switzerland’s ecological footprint by 15% by 2015.

The organisation also intends to make half the population more aware of how to live sustainably, for example by focusing on organic food and bio labels.

Top ten OPL principles:

– Zero carbon
– Zero waste
– Sustainable transport
– Sustainable materials
– Local and sustainable food
– Sustainable water
– Natural habitats and wildlife
– Culture and heritage
– Equity and fair trade
– Health and happiness