Global Footprint

Global Footprint Network is committed to fostering a world where all people have the opportunity to live satisfying lives within the means of Earth's ecological capacity. We are dedicated to advancing the scientific rigor and practical application of the Ecological Footprint, a tool that quantifies human demand on nature, and nature's capacity to meet these demands. Conceived in 1990 by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees at The University of British Columbia, the Ecological Footprint is now in wide use by governments, communities, and businesses to monitor current ecological resource balances and to plan for the future.

Global Footprint Network's vision is to make the Ecological Footprint as prominent a metric as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By 2015, through its flagship Ten-In-Ten Campaign, Global Footprint Network aims to have ten countries managing their ecological wealth in the same way they manage their finances.

 Accomplishments:

Since its inception in 2003, Global Footprint Network has made significant progress toward its goals.

• Currently 22 countries that are likely to be the early adopters of the Ecological Footprint, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom are working with Global Footprint Network.
• Over 70 organizations, spanning six continents, have become formal Global Footprint Network partners.
• Many of the world's largest environmental agencies and constituencies are already using the Ecological Footprint to accelerate global sustainability including: EPA Victoria (Australia), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the Finish Ministry of Environment, the nation of Wales, and large NGOs like NRG4SD (with 50 regional government participants), ICLEI (with 650 local government members worldwide), and WWF (with 5 million global supporters).
• Leading scientists and politicians are supporting and endorsing Global Footprint Network's work. In addition to a 23 member advisory board, which includes four former ministers and Professor Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize for Peace, José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, who endorsed the recent report "Europe 2005: The Ecological Footprint" and Catherine Day, Secretary General of the European Commission, who has expressed her support for the Ecological Footprint and for Global Footprint Network's work.

For more information on Global Footprint Network’s Africa Project please click here.