Spain will enter an ecological deficit on May 23, according to the Global Footprint Network.

Madrid, May 13 (EFE).- Spain will enter an ecological deficit on May 23 , the date on which it will have consumed all the natural resources it can regenerate in a year, according to calculations by the international Global Footprint Network , which warns of the progressive advancement of this threshold due to the current consumption model.

Overcapacity is essentially the annual imbalance between human demand for resources and ecological services—from water to timber, natural waste management, and CO2 emissions—and the planet's capacity to meet it and regenerate in accordance with its natural ecosystems.

Deplete natural resources

This overexploitation affects the Earth's sustainability, as it not only depletes natural resources but also degrades habitats, leading to a reduction in biodiversity and, in the long run, also affects the human population itself.

Earth Overshoot Day seeks to raise awareness about this problem and promote all kinds of activities aimed at addressing it and reducing our ecological footprint.

In the European Union, the country that exhausts its "natural balance" first is Luxembourg—the second most wasteful country in the world, behind only Qatar—which reaches it on February 17.

Only three European countries, after Spain, have reached this ecological deficit date: Greece (which does so on May 25), Romania (on May 31), and Hungary (on June 2).

Spain's ecological footprint

Spain's ecological footprint has been increasing in recent years and is currently "considerably high," so it is "alarming that this day is coming earlier and earlier," said Sergi Simón, coordinator of risk management and sustainability programs at EALDE Business School, in a statement.

According to current estimates, if all countries in the world consumed as much as Spain , the equivalent of 2.6 planets would be needed to keep pace.

Spain's Earth Overcapacity Day

In this sense, it is "significant" that Spain's Earth Overshoot Day will coincide with China's in 2025, considering that "the Asian giant has more than 1.3 billion consumers," although in its case it has managed to extend its day thanks to "the political ambitions and circular economy strategies implemented" by its government.

Therefore, Simón "urgently" calls for a transition toward circular economy models, renewable energy, and responsible consumption, since an increase in the ecological deficit "will increase the risks for both the environment and our economy."

"We can all do our part by reducing unnecessary consumption, using more sustainable products, and investing in renewable energy," he concludes. EFE

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