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. Created in 1993 by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees, 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.

Programs

To increase the effectiveness of the Ecological Footprint as a tool for promoting ecological, social and economic sustainability, the Global Footprint Network, together with our partners, engages in the following activities:

To accomplish our overarching mission, and to influence decision makers at national, state, and local levels, we are working with our 75 partner organizations around the world.  We actively work in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa to build a common language and approach that will resonate in all countries and cultures. Together with our partner organizations, we carry out four key programs: 

1.      National Footprint Accounts Research

Global Footprint Network serves as the steward of the National Footprint Accounts, the calculation system that measures the ecological resource use and resource capacity of nations over time.  Based on approximately 4,000 data points per country per year, the Accounts calculate the Footprints of 152 countries from 1961 to the present. These accounts provide the core data that is needed for all Footprint analyses worldwide. 

2.      International Standards

The adoption of the Ecological Footprint as a trusted sustainability metric depends on the scientific integrity of the methodology, consistent and rigorous application of this methodology across analyses, and results being reported in a straightforward and non-misleading manner. To meet these goals, we have created a consensus-based committee process to establish standards governing all Ecological Footprint analyses worldwide. In June 2006, we launched the first Ecological Footprint standards. (www.footprintstandards.org)

3.      Network Building and Outreach

We are building a network of the world’s leading practitioners and institutions working to  expand awareness and use of the Ecological Footprint. The network currently includes 80 partner organizations on five continents. Through our newsletter, website, trainings, and media campaigns we are sparking a global dialogue about ecological limits and overshoot.

4.      Strategic Applications

In order to extend the Footprint into new domains and to develop new application methodologies and tools, Global Footprint Network engages in a select number of strategic projects with government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses. Many of these projects are conducted in collaboration with our partners.