Earth Overshoot Day 2024
It is not a celebration, it is an alert. This year, August 1 is Earth Overcapacity Day 2024, the date that marks that we have consumed all the resources that the planet is capable of generating in a year. We tell you what this day means on the calendar.
We have a planet. With its forests, fields and rivers… but only one. The problem is that we are abusing it as if there are two, three or five Earths instead of just one. That is what Earth Overshoot Day tries to highlight. The not-for-profit organisation Global Footprint Network uses a date to warn the world that the current rate of consumption is unsustainable.
What will I find in this article?
- What is Earth Overshoot Day?
- Earth Overshoot Day 2024
- Earth Overshoot Day is different for each country
Key data
What is Earth Overshoot Day?
Earth Overshoot Day is the date that marks that we have consumed all the resources that our planet is capable of generating in one year. Each year it is calculated by dividing the planet's biocapacity by humanity's ecological footprint and multiplying by 365, for the number of days in a year.
When is it considered overshot? When more is consumed than there are resources available. In other words, from that day onwards, we are experiencing an environmental deficit. Not only are we consuming our annual natural capital too soon but we are also taking resources from the future to cover the present.
The bigger the deficit, the further Earth Overshoot Day will be from 31 December because we are exhausting all of the available resources by that date instead of the end of the year.
The main cause is the pressure that humanity puts on Earth. Deforestation, overfishing and overharvesting are behind this abuse of resources, as well as many other human activities. So it's down to us whether the overshoot day is pushed back or brought forwards in the year.
Earth Overshoot Day 2024
August 1, 2024 is Earth Overshoot Day. Which means that that day we have exhausted the resources that the planet is capable of generating in a year.
The first record, in 1970, was located on December 29. Five decades later and with more than 5 months still ahead, we have already exhausted our quota of Earth's biological resources for the year 2024.
The date this year brings forward Earth Overcapacity Day by 1 day compared to 2023. It coincides with the Paris Olympic Games, an event that invites us to value human potential, international peaceful collaboration and fair play. Three essential characteristics for the entire planet to emerge victorious from the most transcendental race it faces: stopping the wear and tear of the Earth, the only home we know.
Still, to meet the UN IPCC's goal of reducing carbon emissions by 43% worldwide by 2030 compared to 2010, Earth Overshoot Day would need to be delayed by 19 days a year during the next seven years.
As the Earth Overshoot Day website points out, changes such as increasing global sources of clean energy from 39% to 75% would move this date by 26 days. Halving food waste would make it 13 days and intercropping trees would gain an additional 2.1 days.
However, these three examples are just a starting point. It is imperative to take comprehensive and widespread measures on a global scale to combat this systemic destruction. Embracing sustainable regeneration across all sectors is essential. This involves not only avoiding irresponsible resource exploitation but also actively restoring conditions that support life and seeking harmony with nature. Our goal should be to achieve a positive impact on the planet.
Preserving resources for future generations while meeting our current needs is a crucial challenge. Pursuing sustainable development is the way forward in caring for our only home, Earth.
Earth Overshoot Day is different for each country
Not all countries use the same resources or consume the same amount. That is why each country has a different overshoot day because not all countries have the same biocapacity or carbon footprint.
According to Global Footprint data, the country that reaches its overcapacity the earliest is Qatar (February 11, 2024). On the other hand, Kyrgyzstan has the latest date (December 30, 2024). In Spain, for example, Overcapacity Day was May 20, 2024. If all of humanity adopted a lifestyle similar to that of the average Spaniard, it would need 2.5 planets to maintain itself.
There is not only inequality in the resources consumed but also in the effects of climate change. Ironically, countries that consume less resources are also the most vulnerable to the impact of extreme climate events, such as hurricanes, floods and fires — the most visible effects of global warming.
We must find a way to meet our current needs without compromising future generations' resources. Sustainable development is the way forwards to protect Earth, the only home we have.
