About sustainable homes
Our homes and lifestyles have significant impacts on the environment.
Our homes generate nearly 30 per cent of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions, and the construction industry accounts for around 85 per cent of timber used in the UK, with around 55 per cent being used for housing.
Other impacts related to the construction of new homes include:
- quarrying to provide aggregates;
- the wasteful use of water; and
- the widespread use of toxic chemicals in materials, which can pose significant health risks for the occupants as well as having impacts on wildlife.
The way homes and communities are developed determines the lifestyle decisions and therefore the overall "ecological footprint" of residents. For example, providing easy access to local amenities, public transport, local food links and recycling facilities enables residents to choose more sustainable options and reduce their ecological footprint - and in many cases also improve their quality of their life.
Through our One Million Sustainable Homes campaign WWF is working with government, industry and consumers to bring sustainable homes from the fringes of the housing sector to the mainstream.
WWF has also recently launched a new One Planet Living initiative, in partnership with BioRegional, which will show how it is possible to ensure that people everywhere enjoy a high quality of life, within the carrying capacity of one planet. It will establish 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.
Join WWF
WWF works to ensure a safe future for people, species and their habitats, addressing global threats like climate change and environmental degradation. Please help our vital work by becoming a member of WWF from as little as £3 a month.