Without change, we’ll soon be ringing in Earth Overshoot Day along with the New Year

Today, 1 August, marks the point in 2018 when we have used up more from nature than our planet can renew in a year. It is known as Earth Overshoot Day and since the 1970s, when we went into ecological overshoot, it has been creeping forward at an alarming rate.

  • Natural resources are finite, but the opportunities for resource-efficient, commercial success are not
  • Businesses must find new ways to create commercial, economic and social value by addressing critical environmental challenges
  • Waste must be used as a valuable and wealth-creating resource

Ian Nuttall, Head of Environment at Business in the Community Northern Ireland, said:

“Our current model of prosperity is accelerating this huge ecological overshoot and affecting the environment’s ability to support healthy communities and successful businesses. However, while our planet’s natural resources are finite, the opportunities for resource-efficient, commercial success are not.

“Traditional business models are inherently wasteful; taking natural resources, using them and then throwing them away at the end of their ‘useful’ life. We are working with businesses to find new ways to create commercial, economic and social value by addressing critical environmental challenges. Tackling waste is urgent if we are to address overshoot. Businesses, government, regulators and citizens can work together to find new ways to reduce waste and turn the waste we do create into valuable and wealth-creating resource.

“To create the change we need, with support and demand from regulation and customers, businesses must lead the way by understanding and managing their water-use, radically cutting carbon emissions, creating circular workplaces and innovating, educating and collaborating. Otherwise, before we know it, we’ll be ringing in Earth Overshoot Day along with the New Year.”