One Planet Communities

 
Intro


healthy green homes. 100% renewable energy. eco-friendly shops & food. built for bikes & walking. parks & habitat. green jobs. electric cars & transit. zero waste.

The global threat of climate change still is an abstract notion to most of us. We need inspiring, practical solutions that people can experience hands-on.

One Planet Communities are demonstration neighborhoods that make ecological footprint reductions practical (and even convenient) for residents to achieve - without sacrificing the comforts of the modern urban lifestyle.

Our partnerships with real estate developers and municipalities create national models and examples for marketplace and policy transformation.

Learn more at www.oneplanetcommunities.org !

Join the movement!

Please help us spread the word that truly sustainable living is possible. If the for-profit real estate developers we work with can do it in London and California and Abu Dhabi, it can be done in your city too!

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Greenpeace UK on BedZED's zero emission homes
One Planet Communities are informed by lessons learned at the multi-award winning BedZED – the UK’s largest urban eco-village (completed 2002), with 96 homes, commercial, and community space. The average resident uses 23 gallons less water and 58% less electricity per day, saving 5.1 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year through a wide range of sustainable technologies and green lifestyle strategies.
“BedZED’s environmental achievements suggest that neighborhood-scale sustainable development can go much further than has been imagined in the USA.” – Urban Land
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One Planet Communities Program ImagesUpdated on October 23, 2008 at 8:11pm
Masdar City, UAEUpdated on October 2, 2008 at 10:35pm
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Official Communities in the One Planet Network

Sonoma Mountain Village, CALIFORNIA

"Best in the US" - Dwell Magazine
The 1900-unit project is already solar-powered by a 1.14MW solar array, and is committed to an 83% reduction in total direct carbon emissions.

Masdar City, ABU DHABI

"Get ready for the world's first carbon-free city - smack-dab in the center of the oil-rich Middle East." - CNN
Masdar City - a 2.3-square mile city for 1,500 businesses and 50,000 residents - will be the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city.

Mata de Sesimbra, PORTUGAL

"An ambitious experiment in sustainable living, with zero emissions and almost zero waste." - BBC
With 8,000 solar-powered eco-homes, the project is surrounded by 12,000 acres of restored forest and wetlands - Europe's largest private reforestation project.

One Brighton, UK

"Brighton is Britain's eco-capital… now the place is about to get its first zero-carbon development." - The Times
Now nearing completion, One Brighton is a zero-parking development with renewable energy generated onsite from roof-top wind turbines and a waste biomass power plant.

One Gallions, UK

"A landmark scheme that helps set the standard for environmentally sustainable development across London." - Mayor of London Ken Livingstone
In February 2007 the One Gallions consortium beat 17 other competitors to be selected as the preferred development partner for the Mayor of London's first zero carbon development at Gallions Park in East London.

Events

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Discussion Board

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So what are the steps to getting started

1 post by 1 person. Updated on October 4, 2009 at 12:20am
5 Planets???

If everyone lived like an average North American, we would need 5 planets to live on...

ONE PLANET COMMUNITIES
is a worldwide network of advanced neighborhoods that have committed to bring the ecological footprint of residents down to a truly sustainable, one planet level by 2020.

Endorsers

Achim Steiner - Executive Director, UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAM
“One Planet Communities offers us a very simple choice: The next time we choose a place to live, we can choose one that invests in the sustainability of our planet. This will allow us to make a difference on a scale - and with the urgency - that all of us now know is absolutely necessary.”

Ken Smokoska - Clean Energy Chair, SIERRA CLUB CALIFORNIA
“The prestigious international program of One Planet Communities solves the climate change conundrum of new development. Instead of just trying to eke out more energy efficiency, it starts from the basic principle of zero greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and a massive 82% reduction from transit.”

Geof Syphers - Chief Sustainability Officer, CODDING ENTERPRISES
“It’s time to stop planning for energy efficiency and start planning for zero impact. BioRegional’s Sustainability Action Plan process has given us the framework to do just that.”

Sir Jonathon Porritt - Chairman, UK SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
“Some people talk about sustainable development - others just get out there and do it! BioRegional does just that, coming up with inspiring but practical initiatives that address climate change, waste reduction and the all important challenge of regenerating local communities and economies sustainably. We've all got to learn from Bioregional - a small organization dealing in very big ideas.”

London Mayor Ken Livingstone
“I am very proud that the London 2012 Olympics will be a ‘One Planet’ Games. The sustainability strategy adopted by the successful London 2012 Olympic bid, developed in partnership with BioRegional, will make /p>the games the most sustainable the world has ever seen.”

The 10 Principles
These One Planet Principles are the DNA for our projects through design, construction, and into operation. Here's how they benefit communities.

Health & Happiness commitments will help create a more genuinely wealthy community, where residents are healthier and safer, know their neighbors, and have more time to spend with friends and family, exercising, and being outdoors in bountiful nearby nature.

Zero Carbon sets standards for ultra-efficient buildings powered by 100% renewable energy - giving you lower energy bills that are "future-proofed" from the ever-rising costs of oil, coal, and natural gas.

Zero Waste means spending less on unnecessary disposable consumer goods and packaging; knowing that your food/organic waste is being used as fertilizer in local landscaping and gardens; providing more materials for recycling businesses to put to re-use; reducing the impact of contaminated landfills and eliminating the production of the potent greenhouse gas methane.

Sustainable Transport means less time stuck in traffic jams and more time with family or friends; spending less on the rising cost of gasoline; getting more exercise bicycling or walking to nearby stores and jobs; safer streets for children; saving the planet and our lungs with less harmful smog, less pavement, and a massive reduction in greenhouse gases from our cars.

Local & Sustainable Materials strengthens the local economy with more jobs and a higher tax base. It means living in healthy, non-toxic buildings with unbeatable indoor air quality; spending less money maintaining imported materials designed for other climates; building with recycled materials; and greatly reducing smog and greenhouse gas emissions in material transport.

Local & Sustainable Food grown organically in on-site gardens and on nearby farms means a healthier diet; convenient and affordable in-season meals that are fresher, better-tasting and more nutritious; a stronger local agricultural economy; fewer impacts from pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers; and less smog and greenhouse gas emissions from food transport.

Sustainable Water initiatives will slash water bills and lower energy bills by using less hot water. Fewer chemicals will be used for water treatment. Less water will be contaminated in sewers, ending up instead where nature intended – in ponds, wetlands, rivers, and coastal zones.

Natural Habitats & Wildlife protection and enhancement hosts a wide variety of outdoor recreation and leisure activities; provides free ecological services, like carbon sequestration, water and air purification; contributes to the beauty and value of the District; and helps reverse habitat loss with benefits for local endangered species

Culture & Heritage efforts enhance a sense of local identity, history, and civic pride, with regular events, festivals, and farmer’s markets.

Equity & Fair Trade will create new green-collar jobs; provide new affordable homes; and ensure that stores have a large selection of fair trade goods, giving poor producers in developing countries a fair price for their hard work.

Strategic Partners