The Earth Overshoot Day
WHAT IS THE EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY?
This day comes at a time when the population of the planet has used up the entire volume of renewable resources that the Earth is able to reproduce in a year.
The date this year is as early as in 2019. For the first time in 2020, the Earth Overshoot Day was pushed back by almost a month towards the end of the calendar year - at the end of August - due to epidemiological restrictions around the world.
HOW IS THE EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY COUNTED?
The Global Footprint Network (GFN), an international research organization with affiliates in North America, Europe and Asia, is calculating the date for Earth Overshoot Day. The GFN compares human consumption of bioresources (human ecological footprint) to the planet's ability to regenerate and absorb waste, including CO2 (planetary biocapacity).
WHAT DOES THE EARTH OVERSHOOT DAY – 2021 SLOGAN MEAN “FOLLOW THE SIGNS - CHOOSE THE RIGHT WAY”?
In 2021, WWF Russia continues last year's “Follow the Signs” campaign and expands on the importance of eco-labels for conscious consumption. This year, the Foundation focuses on responsible supply chains, helping to understand why some products are labeled as responsibly produced while others are considered damaging to the environment. Work on a study dedicated to responsible supply chains, under the EU-supported “People for Nature” project, began in March 2020. Presentation of the preliminary results of a study on responsible supply chains for Russian metallurgical companies took place on 5 July. The study was prepared in collaboration with the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO. The final text of the study is being prepared for publication in autumn.
WHAT TO DO?
Consumers can also reduce their ecological footprint by choosing responsibly manufactured goods and businesses - by adopting sustainable production practices and responsible supply chains.
WHAT ARE RESPONSIBLE SUPPLY CHAINS AND HOW CAN THEY HELP REDUCE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT?
In a responsible supply chain, environmental requirements are respected at all stages - from the extraction of raw materials to the use of the goods by the consumer, and disposal. As a result, the negative impact on ecosystems is reduced: there are fewer emissions of pollutants and CO2, less waste is generated, and habitats of wild animals are preserved.
To help everyone who has decided to embark on the path of conscious consumption, to understand the topic of responsible supply chains, an educational test has been developed as part of the People for Nature project, which is being implemented by WWF Russia with the support of the European Union.
