The Ecological Footprint

What is the Footprint?

Ecological Footprint accounts answer, through empirical analysis and continuously increased resolution, one particular research question: How much of the planet’s regenerative capacity is demanded to support human activities?

This question is answered by adding up the land and water areas a human population uses to produce resources for its consumption and to absorb its waste under prevailing technology. Areas are expressed in global hectares – biologically productive hectares with world average productivity – to make them comparable across the world.  Results show for any given year how much nature provides (“biocapacity”), and how much people use (“Footprint”). Latest results are available at www.footprintnetwork.org.

Why is the Footprint relevant?

The quantity of human and non-human life on this planet is limited by the biosphere’s regenerative capacity. Also, access to non-renewable resources may be limited by regenerative capacity because of constraints of the biosphere’s waste-absorption capacity (for instance for CO₂) or due to energy requirements to concentrate ores.

In a time of increasing planetary ecological constraints, the Footprint’s research question may become one of the most critical ones for the 21^st century. Failing to live within the budget of nature will eventually lead to ecological bankruptcy and consequent economic collapse.

How is it being improved?

Building an accurate understanding of humanity’s demand on the biosphere is core for succeeding with sustainability. This requires an open, transparent, and scientific process applied in consistent and reproducible ways. It also depends upon rigorous reviews. Global Footprint Network’s core work is to apply these scientific improvement processes to the Footprint method: this is pursued in collaborations with national governments from around the world (www.footprintnetwork.org/reviews).

What will the presentation focus on?

There are numerous valid critiques of the Ecological Footprint method, many of which form the basis for an active research agenda. The presentation highlights how these criticisms are being addressed and how this tool is being used for supporting decision-makers in navigating through tough policy choices and managing competing objectives for nations, cities and companies.