Finns’ overspending day ended already in March.
Today Wednesday is World Overconsumption Day.
World Overconsumption Day marks the time when human consumption exceeds the Earth’s annual ability to produce renewable natural resources, according to WWF Finland. In seven months, the people of the earth have used up the natural resources that should be enough for the whole year.
Overconsumption is one of the main reasons behind the climate crisis and the loss of nature. Through them, it increases, for example, extreme weather phenomena that endanger global food security.
“At the current level, 1.7 Earths would be needed to produce the natural resources consumed by humans. Most of the Earth’s natural resources are consumed by people living in countries with a higher income level, like us Finns,” says WWF’s conservation advisor in the press release. Jussi Nikula.
Finland the overspending date was much earlier this year, at the end of March.
If everyone lived like the Finns, three and a half earths would be needed, he says Zither.
“Nature’s carrying capacity is not enough, and it is necessary to stop overconsumption. Otherwise, the foundation for future well-being will fall out,” says Sitra.
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“At the current level, 1.7 Earths would be needed to produce the natural resources consumed by humans.”
According to WWF, Finns’ consumption accelerates climate change and causes loss of nature not only in Finland but all over the world.
“Therefore, Finland has a responsibility not only for reducing global overconsumption, but also for compensating the damages caused by our consumption,” the organization’s press release states.
According to Sitra, the carbon footprint of Finns’ consumption has already decreased significantly. In 2005, it was well over 12 tons, but in 2021 it will already be about a quarter smaller, i.e. just under 10 tons per person.
“At the same time, the standard of living of Finns has remained unchanged. The direction is right, but we need to pick up the pace,” says Sitra.
This one the year’s overconsumption day is the first since last December’s Montreal nature meeting, where the nations of the world committed to stop nature loss and strengthen the state of nature by 2030. Finland has also signed these goals, which oblige states to reduce the overconsumption of natural resources in a fair way.
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“The government program rather supports the continuation of overspending.”
In the case of Finland, this means reducing the consumption of natural resources by at least half of the current level by 2030. Effective means at the national level would be, for example, land tax, support for plant-based foods, and logging and land use fees.
“In the government’s program, the economic control measures that curb overspending are mainly conspicuous by their absence. Rather, the government program supports the continuation of overconsumption by promising, for example, that the use of forests will not be restricted and that fuel prices will be compensated,” WWF’s Nikula says in the press release.
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