It arrives earlier and earlier every year: the date by which humanity has used up all the resources the Earth can produce in a year. After this date, humans are living on credit, depleting precious resources and increasing the ecological debt of future generations. This phenomenon is known as Overshoot Day. But this year, we've gained 5 days!
This is a widely followed indicator of the consumption of the planet's resources. Calculated by Global Footprint Network, it indicates the date from which humanity consumes more than the Earth can produce in a year. Since the 1970s, humanity's consumption has led to a resource deficit. At present, we would need 1.75 planets to cover all human needs.
So, as every year, humanity is living beyond its means. Last year, Overshoot Day took place on Thursday, July 28, 2022, even earlier than the previous year. In 2023, a few more days were added, to arrive on August 2. It should be noted that not all countries consume in the same way. France, for example, had already reached its exceedance day on May 5.
WWF France and Global Footprint Network propose a number of solutions to postpone this deadline: "If we could reduce meat consumption by half, we could put back the date of the day of overshoot by 17 days. Limiting food wastage would push back the date by 13 days, which is not insignificant".
