Take action to move the Earth Overshoot Day

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Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what the planet can regenerate in that year. In 2020, the day has been calculated to land on August 22.

What is the Overshoot Day?

Although the coronavirus pandemic has reduced humanity’s ecological footprint this year, we are still far from using the planet’s resources sustainably in the long term. Global Footprint Network combined the most reliable data, including impacts from the pandemic, and formed assumptions to assess humanity’s current resource situation.

The calculation takes into account factors like changes in carbon emissions, forest harvest, food demand and other figures that could impact global biocapacity.

Among the good news is that the carbon footprint has been reduced by 14.5% from 2019, and the forest product footprint decreased by 8.4% as compared to last year. On the other hand, the food footprint is assumed to remain unchanged, as the pandemic has disrupted global food systems, and possibly increased both food waste and malnutrition among the lowest income populations. Check out more highlights and the full methodology report explaining how the date of Earth Overshoot Day was calculated.

#MoveTheDate with Sustainable Tourism

There are many steps that individuals, communities and businesses can take to lower their ecological footprint and contribute to delaying the global overshoot. These include for example reducing meet consumption, using carbon-free means of transport or cutting down food waste. And how can Protected Areas get involved in that?

Let’s explore, not exploit!

Traveling with eco-sensibility is one of the ways that can play an important role in reducing the society’s footprint. Protected Areas offering ecotourism itineraries, such as the Network of EUROPARC’s Sustainable Destinations, provide such possibilities and serve as a good example.

Measure the ecological footprint of your ecotourism itineraries

Find out what is your destination’s ecological footprint with DestiMED’s Calculator, developed by the Global Footprint Network in collaboration with  IUCN Med (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and the MEET Network (Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism).

Ecotourism is a great tool to promote the unique value of nature and Protected Areas, while creating revenue for local communities.

The free online tool enables to measure and monitor the ecological footprint, based on four main aspects of an ecotourism package: accommodationfood and drinks, mobility and transfer activities, and lastly, services.

Go the the calculator and read how you can achieve a lower ecological footprint!