Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) is the date when humans use more natural resources in a year than Earth can replace by that same year. In 2025, this date was July 24. The term "overshoot" means that humans use more resources than Earth can sustainably provide. From an economic viewpoint, Earth Overshoot Day marks the day when Earth's yearly resource "budget" is used up, and humans begin to spend more than the planet can support. To find this date, scientists divide the total amount of natural resources Earth regenerates in a year (called biocapacity) by the total amount of resources humans use in that year (called the ecological footprint). This result is then multiplied by 365 (or 366 in leap years) to determine the specific day.

Earth Overshoot Day is calculated by the Global Footprint Network, an organization that works with many other nonprofits to raise awareness about this issue. More details about these calculations and how different countries use Earth's resources can be found online.

Background

Andrew Simms from the UK research group New Economics Foundation first created the idea of Earth Overshoot Day. Global Footprint Network, a partner of New Economics Foundation, runs an annual campaign for Earth Overshoot Day to teach people about Earth's limited natural resources. Global Footprint Network compares how much humans use from nature with how much the planet can naturally replace. Their 2024 estimates show that in about seven months, humans used more from nature than the planet can fully recover in one year. Human use includes all activities that take from the planet’s ability to renew itself, such as using renewable resources, absorbing carbon dioxide, and using land for cities.

Historically, humans used natural resources to build cities, grow food, and create products at a rate that stayed within Earth’s limits. However, by the early 1970s, humans began using resources faster than Earth could replace them. Today, human use of resources equals the needs of more than 1.7 Earths. If this trend continues, humans may need the resources of two planets before the middle of the 21st century. The effects of using too many resources are becoming clearer. Climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, is the most visible result. Other effects include losing forests, losing animal species, soil damage, and the collapse of fish populations. These issues can cause economic problems, like rising prices, and social issues, like conflicts.

Global Footprint Network explains that ecological footprint measurements show the difference between how much humans take from nature and how much nature can replace. They say humans now take more than Earth can replace. They believe these measurements can be improved because not all human use is fully measured, and some data from the United Nations is missing. They also say the measurements may overstate how much Earth can provide because it is hard to know how much current use harms future resources, such as using too much groundwater or causing soil erosion. Mathis Wackernagel, leader of Global Footprint Network, says soil loss on farmland could be included in Earth Overshoot Day calculations, but that would need data not available from the United Nations. They state that ecological footprint measurements show the minimum level needed for sustainability, and human impact on Earth is likely greater than what these measurements show.

History

In 2020, Earth Overshoot Day occurred on August 22, more than three weeks later than in 2019, because of lockdowns caused by the coronavirus. The president of the Global Footprint Network states that the COVID-19 pandemic is a sign of "ecological imbalance."

Criticism

In 2017, the ecomodernist Breakthrough Institute said Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) was "a nice publicity stunt." According to United Nations data, forests and fisheries are, overall, growing back faster than they are being used up (though the data may not fully reflect the true health of fisheries). Cropland and pasture use matches the amount available. EOD does not measure problems like water and land use well, such as soil erosion, and only shows the extra carbon dioxide humans release beyond what ecosystems can absorb. The number of extra Earths needed is equal to the land area required to balance carbon emissions if it were covered with forests. Researchers from the Global Footprint Network responded to these criticisms in the same PLOS journal. More detailed discussions about these criticisms are available on the Global Footprint Network website.