How the Date of Earth Overshoot Day 2022 Was Calculated

Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. To determine the date of Earth Overshoot Day, Global Footprint Network calculates the number of days that Earth’s biocapacity can provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint, as explained on this page. The methodology relies on the latest edition of the National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts, which unavoidably presents a “time gap” with the present time due to United Nations’ reporting procedures.

To address this “gap” and determine Earth Overshoot Day for the current year, Global Footprint Network establishes trendlines from the National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts data and extends those trendlines to the present year. Where possible, more recent data from reputable sources (Global Carbon Project, International Energy Agency (IEA), etc.) are incorporated to strengthen the assessment for the “gap” years. The downloadable research report documents these datasets and methodology.

The result of all data extrapolations and analyzed factors concluded that Earth Overshoot Day 2022 lands on July 28.