Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ecological Footprint

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Sustainable Management

  • 23 Accesses

Synonyms

Eco-footprint; Footprint

Definition

In general, the Ecological Footprint (EF) can be described as “a way to measure the impacts of human activities on Earth.” (Mariam et al. 2019, p. 60), especially on biocapacity (Wackernagel and Beyers 2019). It is a measurement tool to determine human demand on – and supply of natural resources, usually expressed in equivalent global hectares. The calculation is applied to determine humanities natural requirements at the global, national, regional, organizational, or individual level. In particular, it calculates how much biologically productive land and water area is needed to produce the appropriate resources and absorb the waste generated by a human population (Wackernagel and Beyers 2016). The EF is currently the most appropriate measure to judge the scale of maximum sustainability within the planetary boundaries (Toderoiu 2010) understandable without the requirement of in-depth specialist knowledge. It is thus accessible to a broad...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 2,999.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 3,499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Best, A., Giljum, S., Simmons, C., Blobel, D., Lewis, K., & Hammer, M., et al. (2008). Potential of the ecological footprint for monitoring environmental impacts from natural resource use: Analysis of the potential of the ecological footprint and related assessment tools for use in the EU’s thematic strategy on the sustainable use of natural resources. Report to the European Commission, DG Environment.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borucke, M., Moore, D., Cranston, G., Gracey, K., Iha, K., Larson, J., et al. (2013). Accounting for demand and supply of the biosphere’s regenerative capacity: The National Footprint Accounts’ underlying methodology and framework. Ecological Indicators, 24, 518–533.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Earth Overshoot Day. Global Footprint Network. (2020). Global footprint network. Online available under https://www.overshootday.org/about-earth-overshoot-day/. Accessed 13 Feb 2020.

  • Econation. (2020). Ecological footprint defined. https://econation.co.nz/ecological-footprint-defined/. Accessed 17 Apr 2020.

  • Ewing B., Goldfinger, S., Wackernagel, M., Stechbart, M., Rizk, S., Reed, A., & Kitzes, J. (2008). The ecological footprint atlas 2008. Oakland: Global footprint network. Online available under https://www.footprintnetwork.org/content/images/uploads/Ecological_Footprint_Atlas_2008.pdf. Accessed 25 Nov 2019.

  • Global Footprint Network. (2009). Ecological Footprint Standards 2009. Global Footprint Network. Online available under https://www.footprintnetwork.org/content/images/uploads/Ecological_Footprint_Standards_2009.pdf. Accessed 25 Nov 2019.

  • Global Footprint Network. (2020a). Data and methodology: Global footprint network. Online available under https://www.footprintnetwork.org/resources/data/. Accessed 13 Feb 2020.

  • Global Footprint Network. (2020b). Glossary: Global footprint network. Online available under https://www.footprintnetwork.org/resources/glossary/. Accessed 13th Feb 2020.

  • Global Footprint Network. (2020c). Ecological deficit/reserve. http://data.footprintnetwork.org/?_ga=2.84895385.1862741422.1587136308-294294709.1587136308#/. Accessed 17 Apr 2020.

  • Kitzes, J., Galli, A., Bagliani, M., Barrett, J., Dige, G., Ede, S., et al. (2009). A research agenda for improving national ecological footprint accounts. Ecological Economics, 68(7), 1991–2007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, D., Hanscom, L., Murthy, A., Galli, A., Evans, M., Neill, E., et al. (2018). Ecological footprint accounting for countries: Updates and results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012–2018. Resources, 7(3), 58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mariam, A., Maria, D., & Evangelia, T. (2019). The ecological footprint nowadays. Open Schools Journal, 1(3), 60–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McManus, P., & Haughton, G. (2006). Planning with ecological footprints: A sympathetic critique of theory and practice. Environment and Urbanization, 18, 113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moffatt, I. (2000). Ecological footprints and sustainable development. Ecological Economics, 32, 359–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rees, W. (1992). Ecological footprints and appropriated carrying capacity: What urban economics leaves out. Environment & Urbanization, 4(2), 121–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rees, W., & and Wackernagel, M. (1996) Urban ecological footprints: why cities cannot be sustainable and why they are a key to sustainability. Elsevier Science: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toderoiu, F. (2010). Ecological footprint and biocapacity- methodology and regional and national dimensions. Agricultural Economic and Rural Development, New Series, Year VII(2), 213–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tokuc, A. (2015). Carbon footprint. In S. Idowu, N. Capaldi, M. S. Fifka, L. Zu, & R. Schmidtpeter (Eds.), Dictionary of corporate social responsibility. CSR, sustainability, ethics and governance. Cham: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wackernagel, M. (1994). Ecological footprint and appropriated carrying capacity: A tool for planning toward sustainability. Vancouver: School of Community and Regional Planning. The University of British Columbia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wackernagel, M., & Beyers, B. (2010). Der Ecological Footprint. Die Welt neu vermessen. Hamburg: Europäische Verlagsanstalt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wackernagel, M., & Beyers, B. (2016). Der Ecological Footprint. Die Welt neu vermessen (2nd ed.). Hamburg: Europäische Verlagsanstalt.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wackernagel, M., & Beyers, B. (2019). Ecological footprint. Managing our biocapacity budget. Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wackernagel, M., & Rees, W. (1996). Our ecological footprint: Reducing human impact on the earth. Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wackernagel, M., Schulz, N. B., Deumling, D., Linares, A. C., Jenkins, M., Kapos, V., et al. (2002). Tracking the ecological overshoot of the human economy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 99(14), 9266–9271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiedemann, T., & Barett, J. (2010). A review of the ecological footprint indicator- perceptions and methods. Sustainability, 2, 1645–1693.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Society and Economics, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Kleve, Germany

    Sebastian Amrhein & Dirk Reiser

Authors
  1. Sebastian Amrhein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dirk Reiser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dirk Reiser .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Guildhall Faculty of Business and Law London Metropolitan University, London Metropolitan University, London, UK

    Samuel O. Idowu

  2. BFH - Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    René Schmidpeter

  3. College of Business, Loyola University New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Nicholas Capaldi

  4. International Training Centre of the IL, International Labor Organization, Turin, Italy

    Liangrong Zu

  5. Department of Economics, Society and Politics, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy

    Mara Del Baldo

  6. Instituto Politécnico da Guarda, Guarda, Portugal

    Rute Abreu

Section Editor information

  1. Sustainability Science, LUT University, Lappeenranta, Finland

    Mirja Mikkilä

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Amrhein, S., Reiser, D. (2023). Ecological Footprint. In: Idowu, S.O., Schmidpeter, R., Capaldi, N., Zu, L., Del Baldo, M., Abreu, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainable Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25984-5_181

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation