What is Ecological Footprint

To understand the effects of consumption habits and to ensure sustainability, it is important to know the amount of natural space owned. Because overuse of limited resources can lead to irreversible environmental problems. At this point, the concept of ecological footprint comes into play to understand inequalities in resource consumption and to measure human-induced environmental damage. Let us examine all the details about the ecological footprint together.

What is an Ecological Footprint?

Humans need to meet basic needs such as eating, drinking, warming up and shelter to survive. In doing so, it uses plant and animal-based foods, forestry, and urban infrastructure products. The Earth is trying with all its might to replenish its depleted ecological resources. This balance has changed with the increase in production and consumption activities of industrialized societies. Industrialization has caused nature to become insufficient in the face of human demand and over time the ecological balance has deteriorated.

As a result, in the 1990s, sustainability advocate Mathis Wackernagel and ecologist William Rees introduced the concept of ecological footprint. For solutions that would reduce, and if possible, eliminate, human-induced damage to nature, it was first necessary to calculate how much we consume. The ecological footprint was used to calculate the geographical area required to regenerate the resources used and to eliminate waste.

The ecological footprint is concerned with measuring the demands and supplies of natural resources. It measures the ecological assets needed to replace the natural resources consumed by individuals or societies and to absorb the resulting waste. It emphasizes the concept of sustainability to ensure the continuity of life, and to leave a livable planet for future generations, and this starts by measuring biological capacity. Biological capacity can be briefly defined as the power of the geographical region whose ecological footprint is to be calculated to produce natural resources.

An ecological footprint can be calculated for individuals, communities, countries or organizations. Each has an ecological footprint that reveals its impact on the environment and how many natural resources it consumes. Overpurchased clothes, half of the food that goes to waste, and consumption habits that cross national borders are examples that cause the individual ecological footprint to increase.

If a population’s ecological footprint exceeds its biological capacity, a biological capacity deficit occurs. We can explain this with an example: A community living in a city needs certain goods and services. All of these are provided by the land and water of that city. If the demand for the natural assets of this city exceeds the amount that the ecosystem can replenish, a biological capacity deficit occurs.

Why is Ecological Footprint Important?

Thanks to the ecological footprint, the natural resources used, and the current capacity can be determined therefore how much has been exceeded can be measured. Thus, necessary protection methods can be implemented. When a region with an ecological deficit starts to import its needs to meet its demand, it starts to destroy its assets and release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF Turkey) announced that in 2022, we will use 75% more of the natural resources the world offers us. In other words, we live as if we have 1.75 worlds, we consume it and we do not give it time to renew itself. If consumption habits continue in this way, we may need two planets in 2030 and 2.8 planets in 2050.

For this reason, every year on World Overshoot Day, when the biological capacity of our planet is fully utilized, awareness of our ecological footprint is raised. World Overshoot Day represents the situation where the resource capacity of the earth is exceeded in a year. In 1971, the day that was calculated as the 25th of December was changed to the 2nd of August in 2023 because of the increase in uncontrolled consumption. It was determined that Turkey consumes its resources almost 40 days earlier than the world average and Turkey’s Overshoot Day was calculated as June 22.

As these awareness-raising efforts reveal, excessive consumption habits that do not allow nature to renew itself may lead to water, energy, and food shortages soon. The ecological footprint is also one of the main causes of biodiversity loss.

Measuring the ecological footprint and spreading its awareness in societies positively affects sustainability on a global scale. In this context, it is important to create ecological areas that both humans and other living species need and work to prevent these areas from being used irreversibly.

How is Ecological Footprint Calculated?

Ecological footprint and biological capacity are expressed in global hectares (kha) and determined by the following formula:

Ecological Footprint (ha) = Consumption x Production Area x Population

(Ha: Hectare = 10,000 m²)

To make the calculation, the measure of use of consumption goods is first determined. For example, the kilogram weight of food consumed, the liter of water, the Joule value of energy and the weight in tons of trees used are determined. Calculations are made separately for each of these groups.

The production area required to sustainably meet a given amount of consumption is then calculated. At this point, five different biological production areas are included in the calculation:

• Agricultural Areas: Areas used for the production of products required for human consumption, such as food, fiber, animal feed, oil crops, rubber, etc.
• Grazing Areas: Areas required for products such as meat, milk, leather and wool.
• Forests: Areas used for forest products such as timber and wood.
• Seas: Areas used for caught seafood.
• Building Areas: Areas covered by infrastructure, including transportation, housing, and industrial structures.

Population refers to the number of people consuming natural resources in the region whose ecological footprint is to be calculated.

The ecological footprint can be calculated separately for individuals, communities, cities, companies, countries and the world. For example, the ecological footprint per capita in the world in 2023 is calculated as 2.6 kha. In the same year, the biological capacity was determined as 1.5 kha. In this case, the biological capacity was exceeded by 1.1 kha in 2023. In addition, in 2022, the highest ecological footprint was calculated in Qatar (13.1 kha/person) and the lowest in Rwanda (0.55 kha/person). This table shows that as the welfare level of countries increases, their ecological footprints also increase.

How to Reduce Ecological Footprint?

Some of the steps to be taken for a sustainable future and efficient use of resources can be listed as follows:

• Consumption of products that require fewer resources to produce can be increased by developing conscious consumption habits.

• Food transportation processes can be shortened by shopping for food from local stores and markets. This can support the reduction of carbon emissions.

• Around 18% of greenhouse gases come from meat production. By reducing meat consumption, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced.

• Products produced with recycled materials can be preferred.

• Innovative, environmentally friendly, and technological solutions can be developed in resource utilization.

• The so-called circular economy model can be adopted. In this model, factors such as the lifetime of a product, recycling and reuse are considered.

• Excessive use of resources can be prevented by reducing waste and environmental pollution. State-sponsored environmental regulations and practices such as clean production can be implemented to prevent waste generation.

• The use of renewable energy sources can be encouraged. Thus, both the use of natural resources and carbon emissions can be reduced. Renewable energy can also effectively combat climate change.

All these measures should start with individuals, spread to communities, institutions, and countries, and eventually turn into an international cooperation mechanism. Factors such as knowledge and experience sharing between countries, joint use of technology and financial support can lead to effective solutions to reduce the ecological footprint on a global scale.

Ecological Footprint as a Measure of Corporate Sustainability

It has become increasingly important for companies to contribute to sustainable projects. For example, a study was conducted on the E7 countries, which include seven developing countries with rapidly growing capital markets. Accordingly, the impact of corporate quality on ecological footprint was investigated and striking results emerged. The study, which also included Turkey, showed that the ecological footprint decreases as institutional quality increases.

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