Designing Ecological Habitats - Gaia Education

lifestyle cHange as climate strategy 25
The Danish ecovillages in the study emitted just 0.60 ton CO 2 /year –
37% less. Svanholm’s CO 2 emissions are zero because Svanholm produces
all its electricity needs from its CO 2 -neutral wind turbine.
35% less CO2 from Transportation
The Danish ecovillages emitted only 35% of the Danish average CO2 due to
transportation. The lower CO2 emissions in the ecovillages are due to less
driving in private cars, greater use of public transportation and less air travel
than the average Dane.
29% less CO2 from General Consumption
On average, the ecovillages emitted 29% less CO2 from goods consumption,
due to own food production, higher consumption of organic and eco-labeled
products and more recycling than the average Dane.
12% less CO2 from Water Consumption
On average, the ecovillages emitted 12% less CO2 due to water use. This is in
spite of the fact that Svanholm – the largest organic farm in Denmark with
over 400 hectares – uses substantial water for its large scale agriculture. The
other two ecovillages emitted 56% less CO2 than the Danish average.
CO2 Emissions from Ecovillages are probably even lower
Additional factors, which were not included in this study, would probably
increase the ecovillage deviation from the average Danish household even
more; for example, the importance of organic food production and local
production in general, which saves packaging and transportation. Nor did
the study look at the importance of the materials life-cycle. This means that
some of the activities in the ecovillages are not yet sufficiently clarified, so
here are obvious opportunities for further refinements.
Another topic that has not been studied in this context, and which the
ecovillages would like to have studied, is the difference between conventional
and organic/biodynamic agriculture in Denmark. There are foreign studies
in tons CO 2 per year Heat Electricity Transportation Goods Water Total
Danish average 1.59 0.95 2.02 1.49 0.17 6.22
Munksøgaard 0 0.81 0.55 1.16 0.09 2.61
Hjortshøj 0 0.72 0.52 1.07 0.10 2.41
Svanholm 0 0.00 0.71 0.87 0.26 1.84
Ecovillage average
(weighted)
0 0.60 0.70 1.06 0.15 2.51
Fig.1 from “CO 2
Emissions in
Ecovillages”, Pöyry,
July 2009.