The world has been overusing its natural resources for more than 50 years, with CO2 emissions accounting for most of the congestion.

Global Earth Overshoot Day falls on Wednesday, August 2nd of this year. The day marks the point in the year when humanity has taken as many resources from the Earth as all ecosystems can replenish in an entire year. This means that humans are living as if they had 1.7 planets at their disposal. The calculation is carried out annually by the Global Footprint Network (GFN).

"For more than 50 years, the earth's natural resources have been overexploited every year without interruption. Humanity lives as if it had 1.7 earths at its disposal. Nevertheless, it is heartening that overexploitation has hardly increased for several years and this year. However, we continue to attribute enormous ecological credit to younger and future generations without asking, and we limit their future rights to freedom.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global CO2 emissions would need to fall by 43 percent by 2030 compared to 2010 to meet the 1.5-degree limit in the long term. There are large differences in the ecological footprint of individual countries. This underlines the special responsibility of industrialized countries and highly developing countries.”

How education can inspire action “Through education that inspires action and opportunities to act that match the magnitude of these challenges, we create the momentum to master the transformation that is so urgently needed.

With the educational project, for example, participants will learn how they can effectively protect the climate beyond their own consumer behavior. Using their own experiment, they will first reduce their CO2 footprint. The #climatechallenge then shows how you can make structures in your own environment more sustainable in the long term, i.e. increase your footprint of your own commitment. "Some support seasonal and vegetarian meals in the cafeteria or canteen, for example, while others are active in their own association to supply the clubhouse with renewable energy." This not only saves CO2 through your own actions, but also creates an environment that is more climate-friendly.

Transport: Train travel is 28 times more climate-friendly than flights One of the biggest causes of the climate crisis is the transport sector. Airplanes are the most climate-damaging means of transport. If the three percent international growth projected by aviation is realized, aviation alone would consume 17 percent of the remaining emissions budget up to the 1.5 degree limit. "This underlines why we urgently need to reduce air travel. (AI)