British Homes Among the Worst in Europe for Green Living

The Green Living Index ranks 28 countries in Europe based on sustainable housing practices and ranking 23rd out of 28, the United Kingdom is near the bottom of the list, with particularly low scores for renewable energy and sustainability

 

The index finds that only 12% of the UK’s household energy consumption is powered by renewable sources and just 8% of the energy used for heating and cooling in the UK comes from renewable sources. Homes in Portugal, Sweden, Germany and Austria are the most energy efficient in Europe

 

The platform for temporary furnished homes,’Wunderflats’, has investigated how environmentally friendly properties are in different countries around Europe. Their study, called the Green Living Index, looked at energy consumption, recycling and different aspects of sustainability in the 27 EU member states and the United Kingdom.

 

The data analysed included the spread of so-called Nearly Zero-Emission Buildings or passive houses, the use of renewable energy for heating and cooling, recycling rates, housing types and household sizes, and interest in second hand furniture. As part of the Green Living Index people were also asked in a survey whether they were actively engaged in combating climate change. The results reveal which European countries are leading the way in sustainable living.

 

The United Kingdom placed a lowly 23rd out of 28th in the rankings, scoring poorly in most aspects of the study. The study found that just 12 percent of the UK’s household energy consumption is powered by renewable sources and only 8 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling was from renewable energy. However, the UK scored relatively well for recycling, with 44 percent of its waste being reused. What’s more, people in the United Kingdom were among the most proactive in terms of sustainability, with just under 60 percent of survey respondents saying they were actively engaged in combating climate change.

 

Portugal comes top
Elsewhere, Portugal topped the Green Living Index. It ranked first for sustainable living, with an average energy consumption of only 70 kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) for residential buildings. European households consume an average of 188 kWh/m², more than double Portugal’s consumption. In the survey, 83 percent of respondents from Portugal said they were actively engaged in combating climate change.

 

Sweden is a leader in renewable energy
Sweden came second in the rankings, mostly due to its use of renewable energy sources. The study found 66 percent of energy consumption for heating, and 56 percent of total energy consumption comes from sustainable sources in Sweden.

 

Germany is the European capital of solar energy
In third spot is Germany, who according to the Green Living Index, produces more solar energy than anyone else in the study. A total of 590 watts per capita are fed into the energy grid by German photovoltaic systems. The European average is 168 watts.

 

The Green Living Index of countries in Europe that live most sustainably. Further data for all analysed European countries and all information on the study with methodology and sources at: https://wunderflats.com/page/reports/en-greenlivingindex2022

 

 

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