comparability at global scale. In addition, a yield factor is also deployed in its
calculation to account for different levels of productivity around the world affected
by natural (e.g., climate) and human-induced factors (e.g., soil fertility). According
to Jóhannesson et al. (2020, p 3), for example, two coefficients are deployed to
convert areal size from hectares to global hectares: equivalence factors (EQF)
account for differences in productivity between land types; and yield factors
(YF) account for different productivity between the same land types but in different
countries. In this way, local–regional Footprints and biocapacity can be compared to
world-average productivity.
By comparing the Ecological Footprint to biocapacity results, it is possible to
decipher whether nations are ‘in the red’ or ‘in the green’, respectively meaning that
they are either in ecological deficit (EF > BC) or have an ecological reserve (EF <
BC). This is tied to ‘ecological overshoot’ through the persistent excessive use of
biocapacity relative to the resources available to support human life and activities.
This can be assessed at various scales because the Ecological Footprint is known to
be a cross-scalar measure (cf. Wackernagel 2014). This reflects human impacts at
different scales, from the local – including the built environment – to regional and
global levels. It is possible to attain such results based on the level of interest for
aggregating results for the Ecological Footprint and biocapacity. Most often, however, the national scale is employed, unless the Footprint Calculator is used to assess
individual–household or community level (to the regional) scales, as in the current
study. The Footprint Calculator, which will be addressed in more detail later
(Chap. 4), is a global Footprint calculator with inputs from the National Footprint
Accounts.
The National Footprint Accounts, therefore, are an important resource available
from the Global Footprint Network to access information at national–regional level.
There are two main tools available from the Global Footprint Network, the National
Footprint Accounts and Footprint Calculator, with the former appearing as a data
explorer for over 200 countries (see Open Data Platform: https://data.
footprintnetwork.org/#/). The edition of the accounts used in this brief is the 2020
Edition, which is based on data from 2016. There is much published based on the
National Footprint Accounts, and some of these publications appear – usually as
methodological updates – each year with new editions (e.g. most recently, Lin et al.
2018). In addition, a Working guidebook to the National Footprint and biocapacity
accounts (Lin et al. 2019) is updated each year as a ‘manual’ to the accounts. By
comparison, the Footprint Calculator is a popular instrument for assessing Footprints, but it has not been scrutinised to the same extent that the National Footprint
Accounts have been examined (with the exception of work on the contributions of
personal Footprint calculators by Collins et al. 2018, 2020). Perhaps this is the next
logical step in Footprint evolution.
A recent focus has been on using Earth Overshoot Day to build awareness and
work towards sustainability. This uses the yearly calendar to pinpoint where different countries are positioned relative to resource consumption based on a date that
indicates when their resources for the entire year have been consumed. The earlier in
the year for Earth Overshoot Day, the worse off a nation is in terms of its
2.1 Ecological Footprint Evolution
33
calculation to account for different levels of productivity around the world affected
by natural (e.g., climate) and human-induced factors (e.g., soil fertility). According
to Jóhannesson et al. (2020, p 3), for example, two coefficients are deployed to
convert areal size from hectares to global hectares: equivalence factors (EQF)
account for differences in productivity between land types; and yield factors
(YF) account for different productivity between the same land types but in different
countries. In this way, local–regional Footprints and biocapacity can be compared to
world-average productivity.
By comparing the Ecological Footprint to biocapacity results, it is possible to
decipher whether nations are ‘in the red’ or ‘in the green’, respectively meaning that
they are either in ecological deficit (EF > BC) or have an ecological reserve (EF <
BC). This is tied to ‘ecological overshoot’ through the persistent excessive use of
biocapacity relative to the resources available to support human life and activities.
This can be assessed at various scales because the Ecological Footprint is known to
be a cross-scalar measure (cf. Wackernagel 2014). This reflects human impacts at
different scales, from the local – including the built environment – to regional and
global levels. It is possible to attain such results based on the level of interest for
aggregating results for the Ecological Footprint and biocapacity. Most often, however, the national scale is employed, unless the Footprint Calculator is used to assess
individual–household or community level (to the regional) scales, as in the current
study. The Footprint Calculator, which will be addressed in more detail later
(Chap. 4), is a global Footprint calculator with inputs from the National Footprint
Accounts.
The National Footprint Accounts, therefore, are an important resource available
from the Global Footprint Network to access information at national–regional level.
There are two main tools available from the Global Footprint Network, the National
Footprint Accounts and Footprint Calculator, with the former appearing as a data
explorer for over 200 countries (see Open Data Platform: https://data.
footprintnetwork.org/#/). The edition of the accounts used in this brief is the 2020
Edition, which is based on data from 2016. There is much published based on the
National Footprint Accounts, and some of these publications appear – usually as
methodological updates – each year with new editions (e.g. most recently, Lin et al.
2018). In addition, a Working guidebook to the National Footprint and biocapacity
accounts (Lin et al. 2019) is updated each year as a ‘manual’ to the accounts. By
comparison, the Footprint Calculator is a popular instrument for assessing Footprints, but it has not been scrutinised to the same extent that the National Footprint
Accounts have been examined (with the exception of work on the contributions of
personal Footprint calculators by Collins et al. 2018, 2020). Perhaps this is the next
logical step in Footprint evolution.
A recent focus has been on using Earth Overshoot Day to build awareness and
work towards sustainability. This uses the yearly calendar to pinpoint where different countries are positioned relative to resource consumption based on a date that
indicates when their resources for the entire year have been consumed. The earlier in
the year for Earth Overshoot Day, the worse off a nation is in terms of its
2.1 Ecological Footprint Evolution
33