What Is
Earth Overshoot Day?

By NJ Smith

"Earth Overshoot Day" is a joint initiative by the Global Footprint Network, York University, and Footprint Data Foundation. It addresses the question of "how do we model patterns of behavior, country by country, for renewable resources?" The key insight the research offers is the concept of "Overshoot Day," which is a calculation of the date in each calendar year in which the demand for renewable resources surpasses Earth's ability to renew those resources, within the year.

"Overshoot Day" is the date each year on which our consumption of resources surpasses Earth's generative budget for that year.

The data published through this research's open data platform yields several interesting metrics, both for planet Earth as well as individual countries. For example, let us explore the following map--it indicates, country by country, the amount of Earths it would take to meet the consumption demands on natural resources if everyone across the planet consumed resources as the country in question does. The United States requires 4.9 Earths, which means that if all countries consumed resources at the rate that Americans do, it would require 4.9 Earths to meet the demand within a calendar year.

This map visualizes resource usage, by indicating how many Earths would be necessary if everyone globally consumed like the citizens in each respective country. (for which data is available)

This scatterplot reveals the relationship between a country's biocapacity and ecological footprint, plotted according to each country's Overshoot Day in 2024. (Some countries' ecological demand did not surpass Earth's ability to generate resources, which means they had no Overshoot Day for 2024 and they are not plotted here)

Earth's biocapacity is made up of different types of land or water, measured in global hectares which are "biologically productive hectare[s] with world-average productivity." Footprint Network divides this into 5 categories of productive renewable area: Grazing Land, Forest Products, Fishing Grounds, Cropland, and Built-Up Land, which together yield the Earth's total biocapacity. Here, we see each of these area types gradually decreasing each year since Footprint Network began tracking the data, in 1961. The area chart below shows Earth's resoureces in hectares available on a per-person basis, in constant decline over the past several decades.

Earth Overshoot Day is a useful metric, offering a paradigm which centers us in relationship with Earth's material budget. By placing us in a measurable position on the calendar, and with insights country-by-country down to the individual level, it closes the gap between a subject and their surroundings. "The environment" is no longer separated from the individual.

This point of view encourages us to think about resource consumption in terms of regenerative capacity, and highlights the urgent need for systemic changes in how we produce, consume, and manage resources globally, while placing each of us within the effort.

Globally, what did humanity demand of Earth in 2024?

This is our collective ecological footprint for 2024

Overshoot Day As Paradigm

Earth Overshoot Day is a useful metric, offering a paradigm which centers us in relationship with Earth's material budget. By placing us in a measurable position on the calendar, and with insights country-by-country down to the individual level, it closes the gap between a subject and their surroundings. "The environment" is no longer separated from the individual.

This point of view encourages us to think about resource consumption in terms of regenerative capacity, and highlights the urgent need for systemic changes in how we produce, consume, and manage resources globally, while placing each of us within the effort.

What Can We Do?

Some of The Footprint Network's proposed solutions range from personal changes such as reduced meat consumption, car travel, and energy use, to larger policy shifts like prioritizing renewable energy, land protections, and economic reform. Through any and all actions, the goal is to move the goalpost and push the Overshoot Date to earlier in the calendar year.

To explore and contribute more solutions, please visit overshootday.org.