Switzerland's ecological footprint

The ecological footprint measures the consumption of natural resources by the number of global hectares (gha) that would be required to regenerate these resources. To calculate a population’s ecological footprint, the quantity of natural resources consumed by that population are compared to the amount of natural regeneration capacity required to compensate for this consumption. This highly aggregated information (in absolute numbers) is available for regions and countries, as well as the total world population.

More than two planets Earth would be needed if everyone lived like the Swiss population

The imbalance between Switzerland’s ecological footprint per capita and the world’s biocapacity has been existing for several decades. This lifestyle is only possible through the import of natural resources and the exploitation of global goods (such as the atmosphere). However, this lifestyle is not sustainable, because Switzerland consumes 2.5 times the amount of natural resources that are available per capita worldwide (1.5 global hectares, gha). We are therefore living at the expense of future generations and of other regions of the world.

Some regions of the world are living at the expense of others

In 2022, the world’s per capita ecological footprint was 1.1 gha higher than the world’s available per capita biocapacity. However, this average conceals considerable differences in the consumption of resources: most industrial countries consume more than two planets Earth, while countries in the Indian subcontinent, in South-east Asia and Africa consume less than one. Switzerland’s per capita ecological footprint matches the average of western European countries. Qatar, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Estonia, Brunei, Latvia, Mongolia, Belize, the United States, Canada, Denmark, Oman, Belgium and Lithuania consumed more than 4 times the world’s available biocapacity. 

The Swiss energy consumption largely determines its ecological footprint

The consumption of fossil fuels accounts for almost two thirds of the Swiss ecological footprint. Our use of arable land, forests and natural meadows accounts for 31% of the total ecological footprint.


Method

The ecological footprint is a kind of “resource accounting”

The ecological footprint measures the extent to which humans reduce the Earth’s regenerative capacity (biocapacity). This method calculates our consumption of natural resources, caused by activities such as agriculture, plant fibre production or carbon absorption, into the surface area which would be necessary in order to regenerate resources in a sustainable way and to absorb emissions. The ecological footprint expresses all consumption, whatever its nature, in terms of surface area required, called global hectare, and shows the extent to which the use of nature exceeds or does not exceed the biosphere's regeneration capacity (biocapacity). Thus, the use of natural resources is sustainable as long as the ecological footprint does not exceed biocapacity. 

The ecological footprint does not measure everything

The ecological footprint only accounts for the environmental dimension of sustainability, disregarding the social and economic dimensions. Furthermore, it measures the dynamics, but not the state, of the existing natural resources' stocks. The ecological footprint does not take into account the destruction of ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity or renewable or non-renewable natural resources. Neither does it take account of fresh water consumption, pollution by heavy metals, or emissions from pollutants of low degradability. The ecological footprint is therefore not a comprehensive indicator for sustainability.

The method developed by the Global Footprint Network was evaluated in a study published in 2006 by the Federal Offices of Statistics, of Spatial Development and of Environment, as well as the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The study compared data from the Global Footprint Network, which is based primarily on United Nations sources, to the official Swiss statistics data. The study reveals excellent agreement between the two data sources.

Based on recommendations from this study and government reviews of other nations, the method has been developed further. The Global Footprint Network publishes updated and new results yearly, including Switzerland’s ecological footprint and biocapacity, as well as the results of more than 200 other countries.


Further information

Tables

Publications

Contact

Federal Statistical Office Section Environment, Sustainable Development, Territory
Espace de l'Europe 10
CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
Tel.
+41 58 460 58 46

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