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Defying the Footprint Oracle: Implications of Country Resource Trends

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  • Mathis Wackernagel

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

  • David Lin

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

  • Mikel Evans

    (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)

  • Peter Raven

    (Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA)

Abstract

Mainstream competitiveness and international development analyses pay little attention to the significance of a country’s resource security for its economic performance. This paper challenges this neglect, examining the economic implications of countries resource dynamics, particularly for low-income countries. It explores typologies of resource patterns in the context of those countries’ economic prospects. To begin, the paper explains why it uses Ecological Footprint and biocapacity accounting for its analysis. Data used for the analysis stem from Global Footprint Network’s 2018 edition of its National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts. Ranging from 1961 to 2014, these accounts are computed from UN data sets. The accounts track, year by year, how much biologically productive space is occupied by people’s consumption and compare this with how much productive space is available. Both demand and availability are expressed in productivity-adjusted hectares, called global hectares. Using this biophysical accounting perspective, the paper predicts countries’ future socio-economic performance. This analysis is then contrasted with a financial assessment of those countries. The juxtaposition reveals a paradox: Financial assessments seem to contradict assessments based on biophysical trends. The paper offers a way to reconcile this paradox, which also elevates the significance of biophysical country assessments for shaping successful economic policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Mathis Wackernagel & David Lin & Mikel Evans & Laurel Hanscom & Peter Raven, 2019. "Defying the Footprint Oracle: Implications of Country Resource Trends," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-21, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:7:p:2164-:d:221834
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Yung-Jaan Lee, 2022. "Hybrid Ecological Footprint of Taipei," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, April.
    2. Kęstutis Biekša & Violeta Valiulė & Ligita Šimanskienė & Raffaele Silvestri, 2022. "Assessment of Sustainable Economic Development in the EU Countries with Reference to the SDGs and Environmental Footprint Indices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-18, September.
    3. Niccolucci, Valentina & Coscieme, Luca & Marchettini, Nadia, 2021. "Benefit transfer and the economic value of Biocapacity: Introducing the ecosystem service Yield factor," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    4. Haruka Kato, 2020. "Effect of Walkability on Urban Sustainability in the Osaka Metropolitan Fringe Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Mehmet Ünal & Fatma Ünal, 2022. "Ecological Footprint Reduction Behaviors of Individuals in Turkey in the Context of Ecological Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-19, December.
    6. Bianca Blum & Bernhard K. J. Neumärker, 2021. "Lessons from Globalization and the COVID-19 Pandemic for Economic, Environmental and Social Policy," World, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-26, June.
    7. Kolcava, Dennis & Bernauer, Thomas, 2020. "Greening the Economy Through Voluntary Private Sector Initiatives or Government Regulation? A Public Opinion Perspective," OSF Preprints zsk43, Center for Open Science.
    8. Cecília Szigeti & Zoltán Major & Dániel Róbert Szabó & Áron Szennay, 2023. "The Ecological Footprint of Construction Materials—A Standardized Approach from Hungary," Resources, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, January.
    9. Thea Xenia Wiesli & Ulf Liebe & Thomas Hammer & Roger Bär, 2021. "Sustainable Quality of Life: A Conceptualization That Integrates the Views of Inhabitants of Swiss Rural Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-18, August.
    10. Kęstutis Biekša & Aurelija Zonienė & Violeta Valiulė, 2021. "Sustainable Investment—A Solution to Reduce Environmental Footprint," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, May.
    11. Ahmad Alsharef & Sonia & Karan Kumar & Celestine Iwendi, 2022. "Time Series Data Modeling Using Advanced Machine Learning and AutoML," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-19, November.
    12. Althouse, Jeffrey & Guarini, Giulio & Gabriel Porcile, Jose, 2020. "Ecological macroeconomics in the open economy: Sustainability, unequal exchange and policy coordination in a center-periphery model," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    13. Ben Groom & Zachary Turk, 2021. "Reflections on the Dasgupta Review on the Economics of Biodiversity," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 79(1), pages 1-23, May.

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