Earth Overshoot Day is the calculated date on which humanitys resource consumption for the year exceeds Earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources that year. It marks the date when humanitys demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. The concept of Earth Overshoot Day was first conceived by Andrew Simms of the UK think tank New Economics Foundation, which partnered with Global Footprint Network in 2006 to launch the first global Earth Overshoot Day campaign. Global Footprint Network, an international research organization, calculates Earth Overshoot Day by dividing the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of ecological resources Earth is able to generate that year) by humanity’s Ecological Footprint (humanity’s demand for that year), and multiplying by 365, the number of days in a year. Earth Overshoot Day is a campaign supported by dozens of other nonprofit organizations.
In 2023, Earth Overshoot Day fell on August 2. The date of Earth Overshoot Day changes every year depending on the balance between human demand for natural resources and the planets ability to regenerate those resources. The Global Footprint Network provides decision-makers with a menu of tools to help the human economy operate within Earth’s ecological limits. The organization also measures humanitys demand for and supply of natural resources and ecological services.
The Earth Overshoot Day campaign aims to raise awareness of Earths limited resources and to encourage individuals and organizations to take action to reduce their ecological footprint. The campaign provides solutions to #MoveTheDate of Overshoot Day, including reducing carbon emissions, shifting to renewable energy, reducing food waste, and protecting and restoring forests and other ecosystems.
