NEW YORK – Earth Overshoot Day falls today, July 29, the day we tapped all natural resources for 2021. From tomorrow we will be at the credit of our planet: this deficit is managed by consuming reserves of ecological resources. and accumulating waste, especially carbon dioxide. Among the main reasons for the Global Footprint Network, the organization that calculates the ecological footprint, remembers the resources consumed by each individual and deforestation.
Specifically, the Earth Overshoot Day research team concluded that compared to 2020, the global ecological footprint increased by 6.6% (in 2020 they were 5.8% less than in 2019 due to the pandemic.) Forests also increased, in 2021. 0.5% of the global forest biodiversity is lost.
Last year, the anniversary fell on 22 August, also thanks to the pandemic that had, for the time being, halted industries. But the comparison with previous years is merciless: in 1970 the day fell on December 29.
100 days of chance – And just today, for the 100 days leading up to the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the “100 Days of Chance” campaign has been launched. The initiative, presented by sustainability experts from the Global Footprint Network and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, aims to “disseminate proven and scalable solutions that help bring humanity’s ecological footprint into balance with the biological resources that make up the ecosystems of the planet.” Can regenerate natural resources in a sustainable way ».
From today until the start of COP26, the 100DaysofPossibility.org website will offer one of these solutions every day. Examples of opportunities to move the date – #MoveTheDate – include food waste reduction, refrigerant management, short chain food systems, smart energy, low carbon cement, local development policies focused on monitoring the ecological footprint and ecotourism with low environmental impact .
“Despite what has been decided at the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP26), there is no use waiting for action,” says Laurel Hanscom, CEO of Global Footprint Network. “The pandemic has shown that our society can change rapidly in the event of a disaster. But being caught unprepared has come at a great human and economic cost. In the near future, perhaps we face climate change and resource depletion; Therefore, the individuals, institutions and governments who are preparing now, their performance will be better. Global consensus is not a prerequisite for recognizing the risks that lie ahead. So let’s act decisively now, wherever we are,” he said.
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