May 23rd marked “Earth Overshoot Day” for Spain this year. This means the country has already consumed all the natural resources it would have available for a full year if used in ecological balance. This information comes from estimates by the think tank Global Footprint Network, which regularly compiles national accounts of ecological footprint and biocapacity. The network finds that if Spain’s consumption habits were applied to the entire world population, humanity would require 2.7 planets annually—compared to the current 1.75 planets.
This year, Overshoot Day falls two days later than in 2024, when it was dated May 20 (taking into account the leap year), and also two days before the 2023 tipping point, which fell on May 25. In terms of global trends, the data from recent years have been relatively stable, but a closer look reveals the overexploitation of the planet. The trend shows that the ecological deficit has been occurring earlier and earlier in the year since data collection began.
The first documented record dates back to 1971, when the point of overconsumption fell on December 25th. Over the past fifteen years, the day of overconsumption has remained more or less constant during the first ten days of August, with the exception of the pandemic year, when this crisis indicator was moved to August 16th.
Greenpeace points out that these data illustrate that in Spain we “live in debt to the Earth,” “hoard resources from other countries,” and “serve at the expense of future generations.” However, it is important to emphasize that not everyone in a country consumes the same amount – ecologists speak of the “wasteful lifestyle of the ultra-rich.” Therefore, the NGO proposes tax reforms to ensure that those who disproportionately own more (and contribute most to pollution) pay accordingly for the “damage” they cause.
