Schneider Electric partners with Global Footprint Network to #movethedate of Earth Overshoot Day

• Earth Overshoot Day 2017 fell on August 2, the earliest date ever, according to Global Footprint Network
• In other words, humanity currently demands 1.7 times more than Earth’s ecosystems can regenerate

Rueil-Malmaison (France), September 4, 2017 – Schneider Electric and Global Footprint Network signed a global partnership to engage people around the world in moving the date of Earth Overshoot Day—the date when humanity’s annual demand on nature exceeds what Earth can regenerate over the entire year.

Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation, and Global Footprint Network, an international research organization that has pioneered the Ecological Footprint resource accounting metric, are joining forces to promote sustainable solutions that are available today and estimate their impact on moving the date of Earth Overshoot Day. For instance, reducing the energy intensity of homes, buildings, and cities will #movethedate of Overshoot Day; halving the carbon component of the global Ecological Footprint would move the date of Overshoot Day by 89 days. Humanity needs to move the date only 4.5 days per year to operate within the means of our one planet before 2050.

Global Footprint Network is highlighting four solution areas to #movethedate: cities, energy, food, and population. A new mobile-friendly Footprint Calculator launched by the organization for Earth Overshoot Day 2017 highlights these four solution areas after users have calculated their Ecological Footprint and personal Earth Overshoot Day.

“We hope our new Footprint Calculator enables millions more people around the world to explore sustainability solutions and gain an uplifting sense of the possibilities available to society,” says Mathis Wackernagel, founder and CEO of Global Footprint Network. “Many of these solutions directly align with Schneider Electric’s values, practices, and capabilities in the energy and city solutions space. Schneider Electric is a logical partner as a company whose business model focuses on creating a sustainable future.”

Global Footprint Network’s previous calculator was used by more than 2 million people last year, including students and teachers. In addition to a greater focus on solutions, the new calculator features the latest Footprint data and methodology as well as updated graphics.

For more than 10 years, Schneider Electric has been committed to reducing the impact of natural resources usage in its own operations and the operations of its customers:

• Schneider Electric serves four key end-markets which account for about 70 percent of the world’s energy consumption, representing a significant opportunity to curb energy consumption and drive global economy’s planet-compatibility;

• On behalf of its clients, Schneider Electric has transacted on more than 60 million megawatthours of green power and more than 1.5 megatons of carbon offsets in more than 30 countries, including advising on over 2.1 gigawatt installed capacity of new build wind and solar projects. The company has provided renewable energy and carbon offsets to more than 8,000 global LEED® certified green building projects;

• The company is on track to reaching its target score of 9/10 on its externally audited Planet & Society barometer. The barometer’s 16 indicators measure Schneider’s progress in environmental areas such as Climate Change and Circular Economy. The company’s latest score in the second quarter of 2017 was 8.91.

“Through our partnership with Global Footprint Network, Schneider Electric aims to further promote oneplanet compatibility in our global economy and mobilize citizens, other companies, and governments around the world to help #movethedate of Earth Overshoot Day back to December 31. Building an always more sustainable global supply chain, and designing increasingly resource-efficient offerings for our customers is our obsession. Our EcoStruxure solutions reduce energy and CO2 intensity of homes, buildings, cities, grids, data centers, industries, and they help #movethedate”, says Xavier Houot, Senior Vice President, Global Environment for Schneider Electric.

About Global Footprint Network

Global Footprint Network is an international research organization that is changing how the world manages its natural resources and responds to climate change. Since 2003 we’ve engaged with more than 50 nations, 30 cities, and 70 global partners to deliver scientific insights that have driven high-impact policy and investment decisions. Together, we’re creating a future where all of us can thrive within our planet’s means.