August 2: Earth Overshoot Day

WEDNESDAY, August 2, is Earth Overshoot Day for 2023. Today marks the date on which all the resources generated in a year have been consumed.

Humans are voracious consumers, overstretching natural resources and economies, and this day marks the date that humanity’s demand for resources exceeds what the Earth can generate in 365 days. “In less than 200 days we have already finished the natural capital available for 365 days a year, exceeding by 74% the capacity of ecosystems to regenerate natural resources.” announces the WWF, the World Wildlife Fund.

We can also view this in a positive light if we take into account that in 2022 the date was July 28. This year, resources have lasted four more days. But that difference is minimal, and this grim anniversary marks a downward trend.

In Spain, we have already surpassed our National Overshoot Day on May 12, as our demand has already exceeded our production capabilities. Spain needs three times more natural resources than those available to sustain the country at the current rate.

What is Earth Overshoot Day?

If you imagine a bank account, Earth Overshoot Day would be the equivalent of emptying your bank account of available balance and going into the red. It is calculated annually by the WWF partner think tank, the Global Footprint Network (GFN). The objective of this calculation is to help the human economy to operate within the limits of the Earth’s resources and is measured by the parameters of biocapacity, the capacity for biological regeneration, and the demand for resources, also known as our ecological footprint.

The GFN collaborates with nearly one hundred organisations around the world to assess the footprint of 200 countries and began its assessment in 1961, although the first Earth Overshoot Day was announced in 1970, on December 29.

According to data from the past few years, the human race would need 1.75 planets to meet its demand for natural resources. Some countries have higher demands than others, Qatar has a demand that is 9 times greater than the territory can generate or produce in a year and the United States has five times the demand above its production capacity.

25 countries in the world performed worse than Spain, according to figures from GFNN, with only 51 countries possessing the biocapacity to cover their ecological footprint.

Food Waste a Big Issue

Another significant factor that contributes to the overconsumption of resources is food waste. While some people starve, almost 40 per cent of food is wasted annually. According to the World Food program, one-third of food produced is lost or wasted globally, amounting to approximately 1.3 billion tons per year. The countries with the highest level of food waste currently are India and China. In Spain, around 2.9 million tonnes of food every year goes to waste.

WWF Director of Conservation Enrique Segovia believes that “we are still within a parameter to recover the functionality of the ecosystems.”

In 2020, the date was delayed until August 22 due to the confinement enforced by the Covid-19 pandemic which interrupted production and consumption, resulting in a reduction in demands on resources.

Global measures have been imposed to reduce emissions and the exploitation of natural resources, but is it too little, too late?