I am probably the only person in the country doing this at the moment,” says Peter Commane.

“It’s a unique job.”

Peter is the green caretaker at One Brighton, the award-winning sustainable residential development in the New England Quarter behind Brighton Station. “Hopefully there’ll be more positions like it in the future though,” he adds.

There are a number of sustainable aspects designed into the block of 172 flats, based around the ten One Planet Living principles (see box). Peter says they are split into hardware – such as a solar photovoltaic system, biomass boilers and segregated waste chutes – and the software, which involves promoting a sustainable lifestyle and community and getting people talking and interested in a greener life. “My role is to take care of the hardware part, and also software,” he says.

It’s an unusual job for a man with an unusual background. Peter has worked in environmental education at Brighton and Hove City Council, has a masters degree in environmental management and a degree in physics. He has worked helping to develop a 130-home eco village in Ireland and also used to work in maintenance in an airport.

“It does kind of feel like the job was made for me,” he says. “I imagine green caretakers of the future would be working specifically for this role though, they might not necessarily have the background I do. There are One Planet Living developments all over the world, from Saudi Arabia to Middlesbrough. The plan is that I develop the job description and the blueprint and it’s taken to other sites around the planet.”

Peter says there are a lot of residents who live at One Brighton because it’s close to the station rather than for the green benefits. “But just by living here you’re reducing your impact on the environment. There are bound to be people who don’t want to know about it, but others want to take the next step. What we’re promoting is that green living doesn’t have to be alternative living. You don’t necessarily need to have a major shift in your lifestyle.”

Does worrying about being green all day make you less interested in being green at home? “I’m learning an awful lot in this job that I apply at home. It’s great buildings like One Brighton are being developed, but if you’re not going to make the change at home, whatever you are living in, then globally we’re not really going to make a major difference.”

And what about the recession? Aren’t green jobs somewhat superfluous in the current economic climate?

“I was made redundant a few years ago, so I know about that, but the future is in green living. One thing the Lib Dems and Conservatives agree on is that there are jobs in environmental industries.

“There’s a tremendous opportunity during the recession for developing a serious green industry. One Brighton is really a flagship for sustainable living for the future and I’m hoping it’s something Brighton and Hove can be proud of as well.”