For example, the construction of our homes and the energy we use in them account for around 30 per cent of the UK's CO₂ emissions and 55 per cent of timber use.

In addition, the way in which homes and communities are designed determines our lifestyle decisions and our overall "ecological footprint" - the impact we make on the natural world and its resources.

How so?
Well, the location of our homes and the quality and range of transport links have a great impact on how we travel to work or do our shopping.

In the UK, transport accounts for 20 per cent of the average person's ecological footprint, and a further 25 per cent comes from the food we eat - through the way it's produced, packaged and delivered to our shops or homes.

One Planet Living (OPL) aims to provide easy, affordable and attractive alternatives to achieve a higher quality of life within the planet's natural capacity.

Download the One Planet Living programme brochure (PDF file).

One Planet Living Communities
WWF and BioRegional are developing practical demonstrations of how OPL can work, in the form of One Planet Living Communities in Europe, the US, China, South Africa and Australia. Each community will include homes, schools, factories, health and leisure facilities, transport and food links.

The goals of the OPL programme are:

1. To build a worldwide network of One Planet Living Communities that will demonstrate One Planet Living in action.
2. To establish One Planet Living Centres in each OPL community, as a focus for education.
3. To promote the imperative for One Planet Living and the use of its guiding principles to bring about change within governments, businesses and individuals.