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Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. We maintain this deficit by liquidating stocks of ecological resources and accumulating waste, primarily carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network, an international research organization that provides decision-makers with a menu of tools to help the human economy operate within Earth’s ecological limits.

To determine the date of Earth Overshoot Day for each year, Global Footprint Network calculates the number of days of that year that Earth’s biocapacity suffices to provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot. Earth Overshoot Day is computed 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’s Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological Footprint) x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day

Earth Overshoot Day 2022 lands on July 28. Learn more about how the 2022 date was calculated.

“The consequences of our ecological overshoot include global deforestation, biodiversity loss, collapse of fish stocks, water scarcity, soil erosion, air pollution, and climate change leading to more frequent extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and wildfires. These threats in turn bring about tensions and conflicts, and exacerbate global inequalities,” WWF said.

The EU and its member states now have the opportunity to bring their Ecological Footprint in balance with the planet’s biological resources by setting the right priorities and implementing the right policies – such as fully protecting and restoring nature in Europe by 2030 and making the EU climate neutral by 2040, according to WWF.

Explore and download the data at KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICY Supporting policy with scientific evidence and  data.footprintnetwork.org.

A clutch of fishing villages dot the coast near Kilifi, north of Mombasa in Kenya. The waters are home to parrot fish, octopus and other edible species. But despite living on the shores, the children in the villages rarely eat seafood. Their staple meal is ugali, maize (corn) flour mixed with water, and most of their nutrition comes from plants. Almost half the kids here have stunted growth — twice the national rate.

In 2020, Lora Iannotti, a public-health researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, and her Kenyan colleagues asked people in the villages why the children weren’t eating seafood, even though all the parents fish for a living; studies show that fish and other animal-source foods can improve growth1. The parents said it made more financial sense for them to sell their catch than to eat it.

The aim of the experiment, says Iannotti, is to understand “which sea foods can we choose that are healthy for the ecosystem as well as healthy in the diet”. The proposed diet should also be culturally acceptable and affordable, she says.

To read the article: What humanity should eat to stay healthy and save the planet

The climate emergency is recognised as one of the greatest threats to our planet. The UK government is participating in global efforts to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C and has set legislative targets for the UK to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. UK retailers recognise and support the need for urgent action and have come together through the BRC to draw up this Climate Action Roadmap with the aim of accelerating progress towards a net zero retail industry.

The Roadmap provides retailers with guidance on the steps they can take to decarbonise their operations and supply chains. It gives retailers tools to plot their own journey to net zero, with the needs of their customers, employees and business at the centre. The Roadmap also provides clear directions in order to allow retail industry suppliers, business partners and other stakeholders to take action to decarbonise their own activities.

The aim of the roadmap is that by 2040, every UK consumer can make purchases – in store and online – safe in the knowledge that they are not contributing to climate change.

Download the Executive Summary here, email climate@brc.org.uk to learn how to get involved, and read on for more detail.