video transcript

How green can you go? The average person emits some seven and a half tonnes of carbon-dioxide per year, an amount many scientists believe is not sustainable. One Swedish family set about showing how green we can be by living in an energy-efficient, carbon-lean house for six months. An electric car, local holidays, eating less meat and shorter showers all played their part. Six months on, the project is complete and while the Lindell family fell short of the original goal, project manager Hakan Axelsson is pleased with the results. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ONE TONNE PROJECT LEADER, HAKAN AXELSSON, SAYING: "The family has in six months managed to go from seven tonnes down to 1.5 tonnes which is really amazing. We didn't think they would be able to really get that far although we set the goal for one tonne we thought this would be difficult. But they were almost there, so very impressive result." It may not have been easy but Nils Lindell says saving the earth needn't cost the earth. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ONE TONNE PROJECT PARTICIPANT, NILS LINDELL, SAYING: "I don't think it have to be expensive because eating smarter, taking more care of food saves you money. Saving energy saves you money. Maybe investing in a newer car might be a bit more expensive, but all in all it adds up for us at least about the same." 50 years from now the project developers believe this carbon footprint will be the norm. They say the success of the One Tonne House experiment sets a new standard for a climate-smart future. Lily Grimes, Reuters