Measuring our global footprintAnna ProvasnekSylvia TrogerKatharina Weitzer

Contents

• Methodology of measuring the global footprint

• Different Footprint Concepts

• Trends & Alternatives

• Footprint‘s limitations

6 Basic assumptions of the calculation

• Majority of the resources which are consumed can be quantified

• The most of these resource and waste flows can be measured in terms of the biologically productive areas.

• Areas which are differently biologically productive can be converted in Global Hectare

• Global hectares can be added• Human demand of resources and the nature’s supply in Global

Hectares can be compared directly.• Calculated demanded area can exceed the available supplied

area

Global Hectares

Each global hectare has the same amount of bioproductivity.

(Global Footprint Network, 2010: 8)

Total Ecological Footprint & Total Biological Footprint

• Consumption = Production + Imports – Exports

• Land use types• Carbon Footprint

• Grazing Land

• Forest Land

• Fishing Grounds

• Cropland

• Built-Up Land

Total Ecological Footprint & Total Biological Footprint

(adapted from WWF, 2010: 34)

Different Footprint Concepts I

• Footprint for Nations

• Footprint for Cities

• Footprint for Business

• Carbon Footprint

• Personal Footprint

Different Footprint Concepts II

• Footprint for NationsAfrica 1,4 ghaAsia 1,8 ghaEurope 4,7 ghaLatin America and the Caribbean 2,6 ghaOceania 5,4 ghaUSA 7,9 gha

• Footprint for CitiesVienna 3,8 ghaBerlin 4,41 gha

Different Footprint Concepts III

• Footprint for Business

to attent consumers

• Carbon Footprint

reducing avoid the overshoot

• Personal FootprintVery small small average big Very big

< 3,5 3,5 bis 4,5 4,5 bis 5,4 5,4 bis 6,4 > 6,4

Trends of footprint calculation I

• Suggestions to improve data base• Improvement of better transparancy and

comprehensibility• Use of sensitive analyses and paste results• Adaption of the footprint data with national statistics• Comparison of alternative data and correction of

valuation• Replacement of inexact data and hypotheses on national

plain• The same data base for indicators for resource use

Trends of footprint calculation II

• Replacement of inexact data and hypotheses on national plain

• The same data base for indicators for resource use

Alternatives in footprint calculation

• Fossil fuel footprint

• Concept from Van Vuuren

• Concepts from Lenzen and Murray/ Luck

Footprint‘s limitations

• Media attention

• Scientific Measure?

• Measure of sustainability?

• Static concept

Thank you for your attention!