The Earth’s resources have now been used up for this year

Humanity has now used up the Earth’s renewable resources for this year. 30 July marks this year’s ‘Earth Overshoot Day’.

We are currently using nature’s resources 73 per cent faster than the Earth’s ecosystems can recover – a rate that would require us to have 1.73 Earths, according to the Global Footprint Network, which carries out the measurements.

For Sweden, the day fell much earlier, on 4 April. Qatar is the worst offender, having already used up its allocation of renewable resources by 4 February.

In the early 1970s, ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ occurred at the end of December.