Tuesday 5 September 2017

New partnership aims to move Earth Overshoot Day

A new global partnership aims to engage people around the world in climate awareness and move the date of Earth Overshoot Day.

This is the date when humanity’s annual demand on the planet exceeds what can be regenerated - in 2017 it fell on the 2nd of August.

Energy management specialist Schneider Electric and international research organisation Global Footprint Network have joined forces to show how this could be done, for example reducing the energy intensity of homes, buildings and cities.

Controlling population size, reducing food waste and living more efficiently in busy cities would also make significant impacts.

The organisations say halving the global carbon footprint would move the date of Overshoot Day by 89 days and suggest people only need to move the date by 4.5 days each year to live within the means of the planet before 2050.

Their ultimate aim is to bring Overshoot Day back to the 31st of December - Honduras is already achieving this.