2009
1 ton
115
Green awareness got a boost
In 2008, no fewer than 115 families signed up when ProjectZero was looking for new green role models to inspire the rest of the Sønderborg area’s residents to save energy – and thus their carbon footprint.
Throughout the following year, the families participated in a specially designed program with theme meetings, energy-efficient advice, challenges, sparring and competitions to prepare them in the best possible way to cut their energy consumption. Each family created their own action plan and armed with measuring equipment, the hunt was on for the household’s electrical culprits and bad habits. Families could track their own energy consumption on a daily basis.
After the first three months, families had already achieved an average of CO2 reduction of 10% – just by changing their habits. Fortunately, that didn’t stop them from resting on their laurels. By the end of 2009, families had reduced their electricity consumption by an average of 25% and their water consumption by 45%. This is equivalent to 1 ton CO2 per family.
In addition to getting families to use less energy, the project also aimed to create 100 ambassadors for changes in the family’s daily habits.
A follow-up conducted one year after the end of the project concluded that a large proportion of Zero families had stuck to remembering to turn off the lights, save water and other good green habits.