This year, Earth Overshoot Day falls on 22 August 2020. Although it is three weeks later than in 2019, humanity’s demands are still equivalent to the biocapacity of 1.6 Earths. Earth Overshoot Day is significant for local governments because it can help reframe global environmental issues locally but within a context of global limits. 

City leaders can use an overshoot lens to boost community agency, to look at solutions from new angles, and to accelerate local support for stronger action. The ecological footprint tool—as promoted by Earth Overshoot Day, can bring into focus more dimensions of the city-nature relationship, including what actions cities can and are already taking, and move beyond abstractions to how people can engage directly at local levels. Cities are recognised as key to this change to moving the Earth Overshoot date back.

Cities are hubs for transformational change and according to the UNEP they are where the fight for a green recovery will be won or lost. But cities are not alone in this transition. Local governments seeking support for climate reporting can join programs such as the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, the world’s largest alliance of city and regional governments committed to accelerating climate action. Those looking at nature and biodiversity solutions can also join the global network in CitiesWithNature, a partnership between ICLEI, the IUCN and the Nature Conservancy bringing nature-based solutions into cities. To be part of a global city network for sustainability, councils can also join ICLEI’s global network of over 1,750 local and regional governments.

Every local action that cities take will help to #MoveTheDate—to push it back. Moving the date of Earth Overshoot Day back 5 days each year would allow humanity to reach one-planet compatibility before 2050 (WWF).

Cities are places of hope. However, a common challenge remains: that all municipal governments must figure out how to frame these successful local solutions within the system of global limits, to empower their community and inspire the world.

Read more about the Global Footprint Network www.footprintnetwork.org

Written by Timothy Shue