At A Glance Humans are the most successful species on the
planet. But we are using more resources than the Earth can
provide. We are in global ecological overshoot. In 2003, Global
Footprint Network, a 501c (3) nonprofit organization, was
established to enable a sustainable future where all people have
the opportunity to live satisfying lives within the means of one
planet. An essential step in creating a one-planet future is
measuring human impact on the Earth so we can make more informed
choices. That is why our work aims to accelerate the use of the
Ecological Footprint — a resource accounting tool that measures
how much nature we have, how much we use, and who uses what. The
Ecological Footprint is a data-driven metric that tells us how
close we are to the goal of sustainable living. Footprint
accounts work like bank statements, documenting whether we are
living within our ecological budget or consuming nature’s
resources faster than the planet can renew them. Our efforts are
fueled by a future vision in