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Ecological Footprint Accounting for Countries: Updates and Results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012–2018

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Listed:
  • David Lin

    (Global Footprint Network, 426 17th Street, Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

  • Laurel Hanscom

    (Global Footprint Network, 426 17th Street, Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

  • Adeline Murthy

    (Global Footprint Network, 426 17th Street, Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

  • Alessandro Galli

    (Global Footprint Network, 18 Avenue Louis-Casai, 1219 Geneva, Switzerland)

  • Mikel Evans

    (Global Footprint Network, 426 17th Street, Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

  • Evan Neill

    (Global Footprint Network, 426 17th Street, Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

  • Maria Serena Mancini

    (Global Footprint Network, 18 Avenue Louis-Casai, 1219 Geneva, Switzerland)

  • Jon Martindill

    (UC Davis Center for Water-Energy Efficiency, University of California, Davis, 215 Sage St., Suite #200, Davis, CA 95616, USA)

  • Fatime-Zahra Medouar

    (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Rouen, 685 Avenue de l’Université, 76800 Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France)

  • Shiyu Huang

    (School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, 420 West 118th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA)

  • Mathis Wackernagel

    (Global Footprint Network, 426 17th Street, Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94612, USA)

Abstract

Ecological Footprint accounting quantifies the supply and demand of Earth’s biocapacity. The National Footprint Accounts (NFA) are the most widely used Ecological Footprint (EF) dataset, and provide results for most countries and the world from 1961 to 2014, based primarily on publicly available UN datasets. Here, we review the evolution of the NFA, describe and quantify the effects of improvements that have been implemented into the accounts since the 2012 edition, and review the latest global trends. Comparing results over six editions of NFAs, we find that time-series trends in world results remain stable, and that the world Ecological Footprint for the latest common year (2008) has increased six percent after four major accounting improvements and more than thirty minor improvements. The latest results from the NFA 2018 Edition for the year 2014 indicate that humanity’s Ecological Footprint is 1.7 Earths, and that global ecological overshoot continues to grow. While improved management practices and increased agricultural yields have assisted in a steady increase of Earth’s biocapacity since 1961, humanity’s Ecological Footprint continues to increase at a faster pace than global biocapacity, particularly in Asia, where the total and per capita Ecological Footprint are increasing faster than all other regions.

Suggested Citation

  • David Lin & Laurel Hanscom & Adeline Murthy & Alessandro Galli & Mikel Evans & Evan Neill & Maria Serena Mancini & Jon Martindill & Fatime-Zahra Medouar & Shiyu Huang & Mathis Wackernagel, 2018. "Ecological Footprint Accounting for Countries: Updates and Results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012–2018," Resources, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-22, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:7:y:2018:i:3:p:58-:d:170261
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    References listed on IDEAS

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