What is Overshoot Day?
THEEarth Overshoot Day It is the symbolic date that marks the moment when humanity has consumed all natural resources that the Earth is able to Regenerate in a year.
From that day on, we live in ecological debt: we continue to emit CO₂, to consume raw materials and to generate waste that our planet is no longer able to wick or regenerate in natural times.
Calculating this date is the Global Footprint Network, an international research organization that measures theecological footprint global and provides useful tools for policy makers to promote an economy within Limits of the planet.
Monitor and spread The data related to Overshoot Day is essential to increase awareness of our environmental impact. It means understanding, in a simple but concrete way, how much we are asking of the Earth and how quickly we are eroding its regenerative abilities.
How do you calculate Overshoot Day?
Earth Overshoot Day is calculated by the Global Footprint Network based on two main indicators:
- The biocapacity of the planet;
- Theecological footprint of humanity.
La biocapacity represents the Earth's capacity to regenerate natural resources (such as food, wood, water) and of Absorb waste generated by human activities, in particular carbon dioxide emissions.
THEecological footprint, on the other hand, measures the Demand for resources on the part of the global population: how much biologically productive surface is necessary to support our consumption and to dispose of what we produce.
The calculation takes place by applying the following formula:
(Biocapacity of the planet/Humanity's ecological footprint) × 365
The result indicates the day of the year when the Global consumption exceeds the planet's regenerative capacity. From that moment forward, we begin to use resources that the Earth is no longer able to restore by the end of the year.
Among the factors that most affect the date of Overshoot Day are:
- the production and consumption of energy (especially from fossil sources);
- land and subsoil use;
- the extraction and consumption of natural resources;
- eating habits;
- greenhouse gas emissions;
- the amount of waste produced.
Overshoot Day is coming updated every year starting in 1961. In recent decades, the trend has been steadily negative as the date continues to come forward.
However, this is not an irreversible trajectory.
There are concrete levers to reverse this trend.
For example, according to the Global Footprint Network, a reduction of CO₂ emissions Of 50% would allow Overshoot Day to be postponed by about 89 days. Una 50% reduction in car trips in urban areas it would result in a gain of an additional 10 days.
When will Overshoot Day occur in 2025?
The Overshoot Day It is not a unique date for the whole world, but each country has its own day when it runs out of the annual amount of natural resources available. This variation depends on relationship between national resource consumption and available biocapacity, both locally and globally.
The result is a fragmented picture which raises important issues in terms of fairness, environmental responsibility and sustainability of different economic models.
Nei High-income countries, where high consumption, energy-intensive lifestyles and highly impactful production systems are concentrated, Overshoot Day comes much earlier.
This is the case of Qatar And of the Luxemburg, who reached this threshold in 2025 already in the month of February, signaling an extremely accelerated use of natural resources.
A global level, according to the latest estimates, in 2025 Overshoot Day will take place on July 24. This means that from that date onward, humanity will live drawing on future resources, with a direct impact on the stability of ecosystems and on the well-being of generations to come.
When is Overshoot Day in Italy in 2025?
Overshoot Day for our country is scheduled for May 6, 2025, well ahead of May 19 of 2024.
This deterioration, according to the Global Footprint Network, stems from two distinct components. Let's see what they are.
- Variation linked to data updates: 11 days in advance are attributable to revisions in calculation methods and the updating of statistical data, for example, on land use, emissions or agricultural productivity.
- Variation linked to real consumption: a further day early is linked to an actual increase in national consumption, a sign that, despite its efforts, Italy continues to exert excessive pressure on natural resources.
According to current estimates, if the entire world population adopted a lifestyle comparable to the Italian one, we would need almost Three Planets to meet the demand for resources. A fact that highlights the responsibility of our country in actively contributing to a concrete ecological transition.
Reversing this trend requires a systemic commitment. It is necessary strengthening public policies on the subject of:
- energy efficiency;
- sustainable mobility;
- regenerative agriculture;
- waste management and promotion of recycling.
Only through a coordinated intervention, aimed at reducing the national ecological footprint, it will be possible to help postpone Overshoot Day and guarantee a sustainable future within the limits of the planet.
Overshoot Day in the G20 countries: summary table
Why don't some countries appear on the Overshoot Day list
Not every country in the world has an Earth Overshoot Day.
Some countries, in fact, they never reach the point of overexploitation of natural resources throughout the year. This is the case, for example, of several African statesi like Angola and Eritrea, or Asians such as Pakistan and Nepal.
This happens when theThe average ecological footprint Of a citizen of that country is lower than the global available biocapacity per capita, estimated at 1.48 global hectares.
In other words, if the entire world population lived like the citizens of these countries, humanity would remain within regenerative limits of the planet.
For this reason, these countries are not included in the official list of Overshoot Days, nor in the charts and comparative tables published annually by the Global Footprint Network.
Then there are cases in which the absence of a country from the list is due to shortfalls or unreliability in the data available, such as India or North Korea.
The information used to calculate the ecological footprint and biocapacity comes from official sources, like the United Nations dataset, but the quality and completeness of these data may vary significantly from one country to another. When the data is incomplete, obsolete or inconsistent, that country is temporarily excluded from the analyses, to ensure the scientific soundness of the results.
Finally, it is important to note that Calculations fit to leap years. For example, for 2024 (366-day year), the data were corrected to maintain the consistency of the calculation model.
In evaluating the evolution of Overshoot Days over time, it is also essential to distinguish between real changes in consumption and changes due to updates methodological or statistical input.
In many cases, the variances between one year and the next are related to New estimates on the availability of agricultural land, to review of the global carbon balance (including ocean absorption) or to a different classification of goods in international trade data. These changes, while not reflecting concrete behavior on the part of populations, can significantly influence the date of Overshoot Day.
For this reason, comparing different editions of the data with each other can be misleading.
5 activities companies can work with to postpone Overshoot Day
Companies have a crucial role in slowing down the consumption of the planet's resources through the promotion of greater corporate sustainability.
Strategic choices in the energy, production and logistics fields can contribute in a concrete way to Postpone Earth Overshoot Day.
Let's see which are some of the most effective levers.
- Reduce carbon dioxide emissions
According to the Global Footprint Network (GFN) if global carbon dioxide emissions were halved, Overshoot Day could move by about three months (89 days). It is therefore essential that companies equip themselves with decarbonization strategies effective.
- Reduce car travel
The GFN also argues that if global car travel could be halved by 50%, Overshoot day could be delayed by 10 days. On the part of companies, it is essential to try to optimize trips by car, encouraging travel by public transport, by bicycle or on foot.
- Investing in renewables
Based on WWF studies, if it were possible to produce at least 75% of energy from renewable sources in the world, Overshoot Day could be postponed globally by 26 days. Companies can be an active part in this transition through the direct purchase of renewable energy or the installation of photovoltaic systems and other sustainable technologies. - Making processes and buildings more efficient
Also according to the WWF, the adoption of technologies aimed at energy efficiency in offices could save another 21 days. Also in this case, companies can be of support with energy retrofits of company buildings and the digitalization of industrial processes. - Reduce food waste
Finally, the GFN believes that reducing food waste by 50% would make it possible to move Overshoot Day by 11 days. Companies can intervene by optimizing the company canteen, choosing sustainable suppliers and raising staff awareness of more conscious eating habits.
Postponing Overshoot Day is not only an environmental issue, but also an opportunity for companies to innovate, reduce long-term costs and meet the increasingly high expectations of customers, investors and employees in terms of sustainability.
