Global Footprint Network 2015 Highlights in Photos

JANUARY

Global Footprint Network President Mathis Wackernagel learned firsthand about the tremendous development pressures faced by the six countries that comprise the Greater Mekong Region (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) at a forum organized by the Asian Development Bank in Nay Pyi Taw, the new capital city of Myanmar. Wackernagel was invited to present on the Ecological Footprint as a tool for managing biodiversity landscapes amid growing ecological constraints. More

Pressures in Asia

FEBRUARY

Former Maryland Governor and presidential contender Martin O'Malley endorsed Global Footprint Network’s NPV+ framework, a tool that helps governments and public agencies more accurately measure the long-term value of their investments in infrastructure and natural capital. More

Valuable U.S. Supporter

MARCH

Global Footprint Network launched its latest edition of the National Footprint Accounts for more than 180 countries and for the first time opened up the accounts in a free, downloadable Public Data Package, resulting in more than 2,800 downloads from around the world in 2015. More

Thousands Download National Data

APRIL

An analysis by Global Footprint Network researchers Alessandro Galli and Nicole Grunewald exposed some striking differences in the food consumption and hence resource demand among 15 Mediterranean countries. Their study was published in the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies’ quarterly Watch Letter. More

How Fit is Your Diet?

MAY

Global Footprint Network Co-founder Susan Burns led a workshop at the Ceres Conference in San Francisco that raised awareness among investors of the effect of environmental risks on a nation’s economy and hence its sovereign bonds. Her talk highlighted findings from our first phase of research with the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative and gave a preview of phase II findings, to be released in 2016. More

Business Not As Usual

JUNE

BBC magazine and radio took a deep dive into Ecological Footprint accounting to explain the origins of the phrase, “If everyone on the planet consumed as much as the average U.S. citizen, four Earths would be needed to sustain them.” More

How Many Earths?

JULY

Global Footprint Network published its first-ever analysis on the Ecological Footprint of the 50 United States, sparking more sub-national and city interest in using the Ecological Footprint as a sustainability metric and drawing media attention across the country. More on State of States. More on Footprint for Local Governments.

State of States

AUGUST

Our largest Earth Overshoot Day campaign yet included nearly 40 partner organizations, an online art exhibit and a new website (www.overshootday.org), ultimately attracting media attention in 46 countries on more than 600 webpages. More

Happy Earth Overshoot Day?

SEPTEMBER

Global Footprint Network deepened its collaboration with government officials in Montenegro in September with a technical training that paved the way for the Ecological Footprint to be chosen as a macro-level indicator to monitor Montenegro’s National Sustainable Development Strategy. Final approval of the strategy, expected in March, would make Montenegro the 14th nation to adopt the Ecological Footprint. More

A More Sustainable Montenegro

OCTOBER

Global Footprint Network Board Member Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, hosted the Eye on Earth Summit, a gathering of 1,000 scientists focused on advancing big data for sustainability. Global Footprint Network’s data is getting bigger, too, with National Footprint Account calculations now incorporating more than 200,000 data points per country per year, up from 6,000 in previous years. The increase comes primarily from tracking bilateral trade. More

Big Data for Sustainability

NOVEMBER

Global Footprint Network launched a new website, www.zujiwangluo.org or www.chinafootprint.org, to support the growing interest in the Ecological Footprint in the world’s most populous nation. Global Footprint Network is working with leaders in Guizhou Province to spearhead the implementation of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Party’s vision of an “ecological civilization.” More

Supporting China’s “Eco-civilization”

DECEMBER

The U.N. Climate Conference in December resulted in a commitment by 195 countries to cut carbon emissions to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 and a maximum 2 degrees. Sebastian Winkler, VP of Outreach and Programmes, and Mark Harvey, Senior Associate, Cities, were there, offering the Ecological Footprint as an integrated carbon metric for nations, cities and individuals.

Achieving the two-degree limit will require not only a transition to clean energy but a comprehensive look at how we manage the competing demands on our planet, which the Ecological Footprint can help provide. More

Paris Climate Agreement

Join us in helping all of humanity thrive within the means of our fabulous planet.

• CALCULATE: Measure your own Ecological Footprint with our online calculator, which we plan to update with a mobile version in 2016.

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• MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Our interns, staff and board members are making a difference in such diverse areas as the Arctic, Iran, Switzerland and China. You can amplify our impact by donating to Global Footprint Network.

Thank you again for everything you do to preserve the only planet we have!