Located north-east of Stockholm, the island of Lidö has taken the name of Zero island having succeeded in a only one year to reduce its emissions by 78% compared to 2018 levels (180 to 40 tons of CO2 equivalent). The project Zero island fits into a larger work, the Journey to Zero initiatives. It was not a question of applying some futuristic solutions but, thanks to a program supported by Neste, a Finnish company, it was enough to reorganize human activities by placing the environmental issue as a priority and, subsequently, implementing a series of practices that in just one year have positively distorted the energy balance of the island.
As explained by Neste, everything actually started from the goal already set at national level according to which Sweden will be fossil-free by 2045. Considering this stage already written in black and white, the company has dedicated itself to evaluating the success of some solutions for decrease the environmental impact of every citizen in concrete life. Everything, starting right from the tourist services, has in fact been designed to produce the least possible number of emissions.
The Zero Cabin, one of the most popular destinations on Airbnb, allows for example to live a climate-neutral life experience, while at the Lidö Värdshus restaurant you can try the Zero Menu, a sustainable low-emission menu created by Swedish chef Jonas Svensson which uses seasonal ingredients that do not require long transport. Fossil fuels, initially used in agriculture and for land transport, have been replaced by those obtained from renewable sources and, both for the production of electricity and for heating water , solar panels were used. Each building on the island is equipped with solar panels, air and water heat pumps, LED lights and energy-efficient climate curtains. The propane gas once used for cooking has been replaced by biogas.
Everything found on Zero Island is reused or recycled. Food waste is transformed into fertilizer for the organic potato field, while the new recycling center ensures that nothing goes unnecessarily wasted.
With the island become climate-neutral however, the project does not stop: it will be a place to educate people to responsible and sustainable choices, to experience Zero Vacations and, even, to get married for the first time with zero impact with the Zero Weddings wedding.
