EU's 'Earth Overshoot Day' Arrives Early: Urgent Call for Sustainable Resource Policies

April 28, 2025
EU's 'Earth Overshoot Day' Arrives Early: Urgent Call for Sustainable Resource Policies
  • Portugal is scheduled to deplete its annual resources on May 5, 2025, which is significantly earlier than its exhaustion date in 2024.

  • The Global Footprint Network will announce the global Earth Overshoot Day on June 5, 2025, coinciding with World Environment Day.

  • The trend of earlier Earth Overshoot Days reflects a growing urgency for sustainable policies to address resource consumption in the EU.

  • This year's Earth Overshoot Day for the EU falls five days earlier than last year's date of May 3, indicating a concerning trend in resource consumption.

  • Spain is set to exhaust its resources on April 23, 2025, showcasing a disparity in resource consumption among countries.

  • On April 29, 2025, the European Union will reach its 'Earth Overshoot Day', marking the point at which it begins consuming resources beyond its annual capacity.

  • The Global Footprint Network highlights that if the global population consumed like the EU, we would need three planets to meet the demand for resources, despite the EU comprising only 7% of the global population.

  • In light of these unsustainable consumption patterns, over 300 civil society organizations have urged policymakers to pursue a climate-neutral and nature-positive economy.

  • In contrast to the EU, countries like Uruguay and Indonesia demonstrate more sustainable practices, with Uruguay not exhausting its resources until December 17, 2025.

  • Countries with smaller ecological footprints, such as Uruguay and Indonesia, have significantly later exhaustion dates compared to the EU.

  • Qatar was the first country to exhaust its resources in 2025, doing so on February 6, followed by Luxembourg on February 17 and Singapore on February 26.

  • The United States depleted its resources on March 13, while Denmark and Australia did so on March 19, and France followed on April 19.

Summary based on 4 sources


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