The Ecological Footprint measures humanity’s demand on the biosphere in terms of the area of biologically productive land and sea required to provide the resources we use and to absorb our waste.  In 1960 Europe’s footprint was commensurate with the available biocapicity, but since then it has more than doubles. If all the world’s citizens would live as Europeans, we would need more than 2,5 planets. At a national level, all but three countries of the EU-27 currently run ecological deficits. Although biocapicity can increase, it is limited. Diminishing the footprint provide greater potential in the search for sustainability. It is not a question of whether Europe can afford to stem its footprint’s rapid escalation – it cannot afford not to.
 
Download PDF: Ecological Footprint PDF