The Ecological Footprint

What’s in it for you?

Mathis Wackernagel, PhD

Bundesverfassung derSchweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft

Art. 73 Nachhaltige Entwicklung

Bund und Kantone streben ein auf Dauer ausgewogenes Verhältnis zwischen der Natur und ihrer Erneuerungsfähigkeit einerseits und ihrer Beanspruchung durch den Menschen anderseits an.

Nature turns waste back into food

Organism’s or society’s metabolism: food in, waste out.

Ecosystems

Bioproductive segments

18% Biologically Productive Land

11%Deserts, Ice Caps and Barren Land

67% Low-ProductivityOcean

4%BiologicallyProductive Ocean

Bioproductive Segments

22%

Personal planetoid

Global average availability of bioproductive Land + Sea = 1.8 global hectares/person

(in 2001)

People vs. nature

?

Footprint components

Fossil Fuel Built-up Waste Food Fibresabsorption

What Does the Footprint Do?

It answers:• How much of the regenerative

capacity of the biosphere is used by human activities?

• How much is available within a region?

Global Footprint Accounts

(in global hectares/person, 2001 data)Global Footprint

Ecological Demand (Ecological Footprint) Ecological Supply (Biocapacity)

Footprint Areas for: Biocapacity Areas:

Growing Crops 0.49 Crop land 0.53

Grazing Animals 0.14 Grazing land 0.27

Settlements & infrastructure 0.07 Built-up area 0.07

Producing timber & fuelwood 0.24 Forest 0.81

Absorbing excess CO2 1.12

Harvesting Fish 0.13 Fishing Grounds 0.14

Total Global Demand 2.2 Total Global Supply 1.8

Demand

Exceeds

Supply

By

20%

>

World Ecological Footprint1961-2001

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001

Num

ber

of E

arth

s

0,0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1,0

0123456789101112

Sustainable development : what about the nations of the World ?

HDI

Needs of present

generations

Ecological Footprint (ha/cap)Capacity for

future generations

USA, Australia

NorthernEurope

South America + Turkey

Middle-income countries in Asia & Middle East

low-income countries in Africa & Asia

India

Canada, N-Z

Western Europe

Southern & Central Europe

Russia

Venezuela

Brazil

South Africa

49 nations, for 1996 (Aurélien BOUTAUD, 2002, Economie et Humanisme, n. 363)

HDI v. Footprint 1975 to 2001

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0.01.02.03.04.05.06.07.08.09.010.011.0

per person Ecological Footprint (global hectares/cap)

Hum

an D

evel

opm

ent I

ndex

sustainable development quadrant

Ecological Creditors and Ecological Debtors

Footprint

Ecological Footprint and Carbon

Opportunities• Link to audience’s core interests

– securing prosperity and well-being– competitiveness– policy scenarios: consequences of choices

• Work with winners– leading cities– leading companies– finance analysis

• Policy and communication– what’s at stake?– are the pieces adding to the total?

How does the Global Footprint

Network operate?

• 40 partner organizations• Standardization (3 committees)• 10-in-10 campaign

Footprint Assessment for Urban Development

What is the potential for reduction?• Total London Ecological Footprint = 50 million gha• Possible to reduce London’s Ecological Footprint by

between 20 & 25 million global average hectares (gha)

London Remade with WSP Environmental, Global Footprint Network

Sonoma County

Petaluma Wastewater Treatment

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

Foot

prin

t (ac

res)

AFPs Aerated Lagoon Energy Recovery Hopper St. Extended AerationAlternatives

Sustainability Analysis - DAFs Option(Assuming UV Disinfection)

Land Use

Biosolids

EmissionsMaterials

Chemicals

Energy

Can electricitybe Footprint Neutral?

The Ecological Footprint is a standardized way to measure what has been immeasurable, contentious, and often misunderstood: ecological limits.

INVITATION!Don’t ask what you can

do for the Footprint, ask what the Footprint can do for YOU! (J.F.K.)

Partnership?

Contact us at: www.footprintnetwork.org

House on planet

funnel

The Economist- 3 planets