Environment & Poverty Times 06 2009 UNEP/GRID-Arendal
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Ecological creditors and debtors
clear that there is no advantage in waiting.
A planet in ecological debt
While collective agreements will certainly
accelerate action, delaying action incurs a
growing cost and risk.
As ecological reserves become increasingly
rare, it will become critical for creditor and
North
America Non EU
debtor nations to forge new relationships and
Europe
Asia and Pacific
move toward policies that protect natural as-
sets while improving health and well-being.
In this game, everyone can win. Every single
person will benefit from early action.
The challenge for creditors and debtors
European It is now generally accepted that running a
Union
trade deficit involves risks, but the same is
not true of ecological deficits. Consider the
United Kingdom. In 1961, it was one of only
a handful of countries in the world where the
population’s demands on nature exceeded
Middle East and
the country’s biocapacity. At that time, it
Central Asia used nearly twice what its ecosystems could
renew. In the last four and a half decades,
however, that spread has nearly doubled.
The UK now demands resources of more
Ecological Footprint Biocapacity exceeding
Latin America and
than three times its biocapacity – and at the
Africa
exceeding Biocapacity Ecological Footprint
the Caribbeans
same time, the number of countries with
More than 150% From 0 to 50%
ecological reserves able to provide the eco-
From 100 to 150% From 50 to 100%
logical services it needs is shrinking rapidly.
Biocapacity
1 square = 2 global From 50 to 100%
From 50 to 100%
Ecological
hectares per capita
Up to 50% From 50 to 100%
As for ecological creditors, the future doesn’t
Footprint
Source: Global Footprint Network, 2008. RICCARDO PRAVETTONI - 2009
give them an advantage if they don’t prepare
well and avoid the pitfalls. Tanzania and
Botswana are still creditors, but their ecologi-
By Mathis Wackernagel convening key policy experts and decision-
cal remainder is shrinking rapidly. Climate
A version of this article first appeared in the
makers to initiate a dialogue on the growing
change, expanding population and other
Commonwealth Ministers Reference Book 2009 significance of biocapacity for economic pros-
factors are increasing the pressure on each
perity and stability. If we succeed, policy-mak-
country’s ecological assets. Without such a
We are all familiar with the concept of credi- ers will start to recognize both the tangible
remainder, it will be more difficult for those
tor countries, that is, countries that extend fi- benefits of maintaining ecological assets and
countries to succeed in the global economy,
nancial resources to regions far outside their the risk that liquidating these assets poses to
particularly as it will become increasingly
borders. But there is another type of credi- their nations’ long-term interests.
difficult in a world with global overshoot to
tor nation that underwrites the economies
access ecological services from abroad.
and livelihoods of distant shores. So-called Avoiding the impending resource crunch
ecological creditors are countries that have The shift of many nations from being eco-
The Ecological Creditor Initiative will help
more biocapacity (ability of their ecosystems logical creditors four or five decades ago to
countries think through these various chal-
to produce resources) than they use for ecological debtors today is part of a larger
lenges and develop strategies that recognize
their own benefit. By providing ecological global trend. In the early 1960s, humanity
nature as a core asset. In the long term, these
services – ranging from exporting resources consumed only about half of what planet Earth
discussions could shift the way we value
in the form of wood products, for example, to could provide. In the mid-1980s, humanity
and negotiate resources in the 21st century,
removing CO2 from the atmosphere – they began to demand resources and ecological ser-
providing clear strategic and economic advan-
provide many ecological services the rest of vices faster than the earth could renew them,
tages for nations to become more resource-
the world’s countries rely upon. a condition known as ecological overshoot.
efficient and bolster their ecological reserves.
Since then, growing human population and
More than three-quarters of the world’s per capita resource consumption have caused
In April, Global Footprint Network met with
population now lives in countries that are overshoot to escalate. Our accounts conclude
policy experts and government representatives
ecological debtors – they use more resources that in 2005, the most recent year for which
in Lima, Peru, to kick off the initiative and
and ecological services than the ecosystems data are available, human demand exceeded
begin a series of workshops on the growing
within their borders produce. This has by 30% what the earth could renew.
significance of biocapacity and its potential
changed drastically since just five decades
for competitive advantage in a resource-con-
ago, when the vast majority of the world’s The symptoms of overshoot are clear and
strained world. The organization will continue
people lived in countries with ecological re- pressing: rapid climate change, crop shortag-
to hold meetings and convene international
serves. As the number of ecological creditor es, biodiversity loss, freshwater stress, shrink-
work sessions throughout the year, including
nations dwindles, the resource pressures on ing forests and depleted fisheries. Yet, so far,
hosting a side-event at Copenhagen. Next year,
those remaining surpluses increase and a global negotiations around environmental
Global Footprint Network plans to present a
clear challenge emerges: not everyone can be crises have been mired in dragged-out debates
summary of the work session findings at a
a net importer of resources. Much of Latin and deadlock, with no significant moves to-
wide range of international forums and con-
America, as well as New Zealand, Canada, ward implementation. Most political leaders
ferences, leading up to a Presidential Gather-
Gabon, Finland, Botswana, Australia and see little strategic upside to bold action and
ing on Biocapacity in late 2010.
others, are still in an ecological creditor aggressive policy. The path to reaching global
situation, which might significantly – and agreements (such as the emerging Copenha-
Once leaders begin to understand the inher-
positively – affect their future economic gen agreement on climate change) has been
ent value of ecological assets, the paradigm
standing and competitiveness, if resources extremely fragile; now with the world’s shaky
will shift from “the more we reduce resource
are managed well. Conversely, those eco- economic situation, there is an especially high
consumption and waste emission, the more
logical debtor countries that are preparing likelihood of monkey-wrenching.
difficult it is for us to be competitive” to “the
themselves for resource constraints will be
more we reduce resource consumption, the
far better equipped to navigate the future. Incorporating a creditor/debtor view of the
greater our well-being and the lower our risk.”
Recognizing this new geopolitical shift can world into the discussion brings an invigorat-
help put the climate negotiations on a much ing element of national and regional self-in-
It changes the equation from a negative sum
more productive path. terest. Creditor countries have the economic,
game, where financial wealth is generated at
political and strategic motive for preserving
the expense of the environment, to a positive
This is why: ecological debtor countries their ecological assets, while debtors have
sum game, where the economic objective
depend on the health of ecological assets in a direct interest in reducing their exposure
becomes securing the best lives using the
creditor countries. It is very much in their by minimizing their resource dependence.
fewest resources.
interest both to become less dependent on
such assets, and to support creditor coun- In recognizing that humanity is moving at
About the author: Mathis Wackernagel, Ph.D.,
tries in managing those assets carefully. great speed into resource constraints, and
is founder and Executive Director of Global
that reinventing our urban infrastructure
Footprint Network. For more information on the
Through our Ecological Creditor and Debtor so it can cope with these constraints takes
Ecological Creditor and Debtor Initiative, go to www.
Initiative, Global Footprint Network is time – possibly several decades – it becomes footprintnetwork.org/creditors.
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