As the global population grows and consumption rises, there is more demand on nature鈥檚 budget, according to data from the Global Footprint Network.
Earth Overshoot Day was marked on August 8, when humanity鈥檚 annual demand on nature exceeds what Earth can regenerate in the year. Earth Overshoot Day was marked five days earlier than last year, and is the earliest Overshoot day to be marked.
鈥淐anada is fortunate to still have an abundance of renewable natural riches, when much of the world no longer does. It鈥檚 vital that we take care of these resources now so they can continue to take care of us in the future,鈥� said David Miller, president and CEO of WWF-Canada. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why WWF-Canada works to build solutions to ensure people and nature thrive together.鈥�
As the global population grows and consumption rises, humans are emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the Earth鈥檚 oceans and forests can absorb, and humans are depleting fisheries and harvesting forests more quickly than they can reproduce and regrow. 鈥淭o sustain our global consumption at this level would take 1.6 Earths.鈥�
Carbon emissions are the fastest growing contributor to ecological overshoot, with the carbon Footprint now making up 60 per cent of humanity鈥檚 demand on nature, which is called its Ecological Footprint.
鈥淚f we adhere to the goals set by the Paris climate agreement adopted by nearly 200 countries in December 2015, the carbon Footprint will need to gradually fall to zero by 2050. This calls for a new way of living on our one planet,鈥� said Miller.
According to the report, Canada has the fourth highest ecological footprint per person, after only Luxembourg, Australia and the United States. If everyone on Earth lived as Canadians do, it would take 4.7 Earths to sustain global consumption.
Canada has the 12th highest total ecological footprint. The carbon footprint makes up 61 per cent of Canada鈥檚 overall ecological footprint. 鈥淐anada is so rich in resources, however, that it takes only half the country鈥檚 resources to sustain the national population,鈥� said Miller.
Fortunately, some countries are embracing the challenge. For instance, Costa Rica generated 97 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources during the first three months of 2016. Portugal, Germany and Britain also demonstrated groundbreaking levels of renewable energy capability this year, when 100 per cent of their electricity demand was met by renewable for several minutes or, in the case of Portugal, for several days.
In China, meanwhile, the government has outlined a plan to reduce its citizens鈥� meat consumption by 50 per cent, which it calculates will lower the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from China鈥檚 livestock industry by one billion tonnes by 2030.
Simultaneously, as individuals, every person has the power to act for change in their daily lives. Building on the momentum of the historic Paris agreement, Global Footprint Network and its 25 Earth Overshoot Day partners launched a public engagement campaign with a view to highlighting the significance of resource security in a sustainable world where people and planet thrive.
The hashtag #pledgefortheplanet was launched on Earth Day, April 22. People are invited to make a #pledgefortheplanet at www.overshootday.org and share selfies via social media.
