Ecological Footprint Calculator
Understanding Your Ecological Footprint
An Ecological Footprint measures the demand human consumption places on the biosphere. It represents the amount of biologically productive land and sea area required to produce all the resources it consumes and to absorb the waste it generates, using prevailing technology.
Biocapacity is the Earth's (or a region's) capacity to produce and regenerate these resources and absorb wastes. When humanity's footprint exceeds biocapacity, we are in a state of ecological overshoot.
Global Hectares (gha): The unit of measurement for both Ecological Footprint and biocapacity. A global hectare is a biologically productive hectare with world average productivity.
This Calculator: This tool provides a simplified estimation. Actual footprint calculations are complex and involve extensive data. The factors used here are illustrative approximations for educational purposes.
Assumptions:
- Average global production efficiencies.
- Simplified impact factors for consumption categories.
How to Use: Answer the questions in each category as accurately as possible. Click "Calculate Footprint" to see your estimated footprint and a breakdown.