2023-08-01 12:55:03
The “Earth Overshoot Day” has been steadily deteriorating for decades, with the exception, among others, of the year 2020, marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. Humanity arrives at this date earlier and earlier each year. But what exactly does this date mean? Response elements.
How is it calculated?
Each year the NGO Global Foodprint Network calculates the “Overshoot Day” for the world, by crossing the ecological footprint of human activities (land and sea surfaces needed to produce the resources consumed and to absorb the waste of the population) and the « biocapacity » Earth (capacity of ecosystems to regenerate and absorb waste produced by humans, including CO2 sequestration).
Read also: Environment. If humanity lived like the French, Earth Overshoot Day would take place on May 5
This August 2, 2023, is the date on which we have reached the limit of the natural capital available to the planet. In other words, we overconsume and live on credit for what the planet can provide. Thus, for the remaining 151 days of the year, humanity lives in ecological deficit.
Human activities emit huge surpluses of greenhouse gases (CO2) that forests and oceans cannot absorb. Overfishing leads to the collapse of fisheries resources because species cannot reproduce at the level of what we fish, too many trees are felled…
Read also: Researchers establish five environmental limits, humanity has already exceeded four
What is the evolution?
Late December in the early 1970s, November throughout the 1980s, October in the 1990s… “Overshoot Day” has been steadily advancing over the past fifty years. Since 2000, this day has changed from September to July in twenty years.
However, for 5 years, the trend has stabilized but still far from being reversed. In 2022, this day occurred on July 28, five days earlier than this year. “It is difficult to discern to what extent this is due to the economic downturn or to deliberate decarbonization efforts”underlines the NGO in a press release published on June 5, 2023.
To achieve the goal set by IPCC scientists to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030 “We should move ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ by 19 days a year for the next seven years”says Global Foodprint Network.
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