For some years now, a new trend has gained relevance international sustainability indicator which you have no doubt already heard: the ecological footprintIn a context of increasing environmental challenges, measuring this footprint becomes crucial to designing new policies that benefit both the environment and social well-being.
Traditionally, GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was used as a global economic indicator, but it does not reflect the environmental impact. Therefore, the ecological footprint It emerges as a complementary metric that integrates the set of effects that human communities have on their environments. Through its calculation, it is possible to assess both the use of natural resources and the generation of waste, which allows for the development of more balanced and realistic policies.
What is the ecological footprint?
This concept is defined as:
The total ecologically productive surface necessary to produce the resources consumed by an average individual in a community and to absorb the waste generated by said individual, regardless of the location of these surfaces.
That is, the ecological footprint indicates how many biologically productive spaces we need to maintain our lifestyle. Through measurement, we can identify the level of sustainability of a population in relation to the planet's limited resources.
The study of the ecological footprint
The calculation of the ecological footprint takes into account several essential factors of the production and consumption processes. To calculate it, it is essential to recognize that:
- For any type of good or service, a flow of materials and energy.
- It is necessary to have ecological systems to absorb the waste generated.
- The production of goods often occupies territory intended for productive ecological systems, reducing them.
This calculation integrates multiple environmental effects, but it is not infallible. There are certain aspects (mainly qualitative) such as soil, water and air pollution, which are not always accounted for, except for CO2 emissions.
Unaccounted for environmental impacts
For example, aspects such as biodiversity loss, erosion, landscape degradation or water use (except in hydraulic infrastructure) are usually not included in the calculation of the footprint. In addition, it is assumed that agricultural, livestock and forestry practices are sustainable, which may not be the case in all territories.
Therefore, the results of the ecological footprint tend to be more conservative, choosing the most prudent options in terms of calculation.
Biocapacity: a complementary resource
A complementary term to the ecological footprint is the biocapacity, which refers to the amount of biologically productive land available. It includes crops, pastures, forests and productive marine areas.
The difference between the ecological footprint and biocapacity is known as the ecological deficit, that is, the resources demanded minus those available. If a community has an ecological deficit, this means that it consumes more than its environment can support in the long term.
For example, global biocapacity is estimated at 1,8 hectares per inhabitant, which indicates the amount of productive resources the planet can provide per person. But in countries like the United States, the ecological footprint exceeds this figure, reaching 9.6 hectares, which means that if all the inhabitants of the world lived like in the United States, we would need more than 9 planet Earths.
How to calculate your ecological footprint
To obtain an accurate estimate of the ecological footprint, it is necessary to understand all the consumption associated with fundamental activities (food, energy, forest products, land use) and translate them into productive surface area.
Phases of the calculation process
The calculation is done in two steps:
- Accounting for consumption: Actual or estimated consumption is calculated using the formula: Consumption = Production + Imports – Exports.
- Transforming consumption into productive surface: Using global productivity and yield values, it is estimated how many hectares are needed.
The result of this calculation is expressed in global hectares (gha), a metric that allows comparing territories and adjusting global parameters.
Energy consumption
When it comes to energy consumption, the ecological footprint usually measures the area required to absorb the CO2 emissions generated. The calculation is based on dividing the total energy consumption by the capacity of forests to fix CO2.
Calculating your personal ecological footprint
Nowadays, there are several online tools that allow you to quickly calculate your ecological footprint. These calculators evaluate consumption habits in energy, water, transportation, waste and materials.
By completing a series of simple questions, you can get a clear idea of how many acres you need to sustain your lifestyle. One of the most popular options is This calculator from MyFootprint, which helps you compare your footprint with that of other people and suggests how to reduce it.
Neutralize our ecological footprint
Once we know the impact of our footprint, we can take steps to reduce it. Reducing the global ecological footprint involves significant changes at a personal level, such as adopting more sustainable habits.
Some of these measures include:
- Use public transportation or less polluting means of transportation.
- Actively recycle and reduce the use of plastics.
- Use low consumption light bulbs and efficient appliances.
The transition to more sustainable habits is key to reducing our environmental impact. Every small change, from home insulation to efficient water use, can have a noticeable effect on the overall ecological footprint.