What is an ecological footprint?
The ecological footprint is a comprehensive indicator. It is calculated for a given year and based on 15,000 data points from each country. It summarises all human needs in terms of food, timber, textiles, carbon sequestration, and infrastructure development. In other words, the indicator compares human demand for natural resources with their regenerative capacity. It is most often expressed in global hectares (gha), a standardised unit that allows for comparisons of the ecological footprints of different countries, regions and individuals. The ecological footprint also has its limitations. It does not take into account factors such as quality of life, biodiversity loss as well as the depletion of non-renewable resources.
Ecological footprint can be calculated for the entire world, individual countries or individuals. In Poland, it is 4.6 gha per person, while in Sweden it is 5.8 gha/person, and in Estonia it is 9.1 gha/person. The record holder is Qatar, whose residents require as much as 15.5 gha per capita to meet their living needs. At the same time, there are nearly 50 countries with an ecological footprint less than 1.5 gha/person. Combined, these countries are home to 3 billion people, representing approximately 40% of the world's population. It should be noted that 12% of the world's population utilises more than 50% of its available biological potential.
We had 1.5 gha/person of biologically productive land available, while our ecological footprint was 2.6 gha/person in 2022. This means that we consume more resources annually than we can regenerate. We are therefore living on ecological credit. This phenomenon is measured, among other things, by Earth Overshoot Day. This is the day in a given year when humanity's demand for environmental resources and services exceeds the Earth's ability to regenerate.
Given that the ecological deficit is growing year by year, the exact date of Earth's Overshoot Day is less important than the scale of the phenomenon. The general trend indicates that this date is moving closer to the beginning of the year each year. In 1971, it was 29 December; now it is 24 July. This means that humanity is contributing to the further degradation of the biosphere at a steady, tragic pace.
Why is this happening? Main causes of ecological deficit:
- Overexploitation – we extract more raw materials from nature than can be replenished;
- High greenhouse gas emissions from the energy industry and industrial agriculture;
- Ecosystem degradation, including deforestation (Amazon, Southeast Asia), construction and infrastructure development in the process of urbanisation;
- The growth of the world's population and the promotion of a consumerist lifestyle – more and more people are living a high-consumption lifestyle, especially in developed countries. Research indicates that as global wealth, measured by GDP per capita, increases, the global ecological footprint also increases.
Time for action, or what can we do?
A lifestyle shift based on conscious consumption and choosing products and services that have the least impact on the planet should be the fundamental change. There's a lot we can do right now, including:
- Reduce unnecessary consumption and waste – limiting excessive consumption, especially of disposable and poor quality products, limiting food waste, promoting sharing models (car sharing, canteens, repair cafes).
- Manage resources efficiently – circular economy, extending product life cycles, saving water and energy.
- Accelerate the energy transformation – increasing energy efficiency in industry and buildings, modernising transmission lines, moving away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy sources.
- Protect and restore ecosystems – halting deforestation, especially in developing countries, protecting biodiversity and restoring degraded lands to their natural state.
As part of the Global Footprint Network the #MoveTheDate initiative has been launched. It promotes solutions in five areas that contribute to reducing environmental impact and postponing the Earth Overshoot Day.
Dr Natalia Ratajczyk is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biogeography, Paleoecology and Nature Conservation at the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz. She serves as the Dean's Representative for Sustainable Development and the Dean's Representative for the Environmental Protection, EcoCity, Biomonitoring, and Ecological Biotechnologies study programmes. She teaches Environmental Protection and EcoCity, where she strives to sensitise students to aspects related to overconsumption, resource conservation and environmental awareness. She also conducts activities related to raising awareness of sustainable development and is a co-author of the BiOŚfera project.
Source: Dr Natalia Ratajczyk, Department of Biogeography, Paleoecology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz
Edit: Kamila Knol-Michałowska, Promotion Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz