Projects

These accounts detailed ecological footprint and biocapacity of all nations on the planet, and as a world-total sum, from 1961 to 2023. This was the first set of accounts in which we could evaluate how well the prior set performed with respect to recently estimated emissions, with a timeline extended. Results showed that the prior edition's estimate of global emissions was within 0.15% of the newly reported total from the International Energy Agency. Published June 5, 2024, through a global webinar. This edition was produced for Footprint Data Foundation with funding support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

The 2023 Edition of the National Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts detailed Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity, by total and by component, at a national level and on a world-total basis, from 1961 to 2022. Ecological Footprint was measured for production, imports, exports, and consumption, where consumption equals production plus imports minus exports. Accounts were generated for 244 territories including the world, current and former/split/unified nations. Of these, 190 countries, plus the world, had a reliable timeline of data and are provided on an open-access basis.

The 2022 Edition reports on Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity of all nations, and the world, from 1961 to 2018. Details include the components of fishing grounds, cropland, grazing land, built-up land, forest products, and the area of forest needed to sequester anthropogenic emissions. We produced the accounts for the Footprint Data Foundation to inform individuals, communities and government leaders to better manage limited resources, reduce economic risk, and improve well-being. We produced the accounts for the Footprint Data Foundation to inform individuals, communities and government leaders to better manage limited resources, reduce economic risk, and improve well-being. Data are available on the data page of our website.

In partnership with Global Footprint Network, we produced the 2021 edition of the accounts to detail the Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity of all nations on the planet, from 1961 to 2017. Details include the components of cropland, grazing land, built-up land, forest land, fishing grounds, and the carbon footprint. These accounts are the first to be produced for the Footprint Data Foundation to inform individuals, communities and government leaders to better manage limited resources, reduce economic risk, and improve well-being. This dataset was launched on January 2021.

We synthesized and mobilized knowledge that could help to inform civil society and governments of all levels about how Canadians use and depend upon the Earth's carrying capacity. This included the consideration of how Canada's imports rely upon carrying capacity from abroad, and how domestic capacity is used to generate exports. We are using various measures and measurement systems, including Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity accounting. Our assessment included an analysis of the sensitivity of Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity measures to changes in various input parameters and data sources, to address questions that we have encountered from provincial and federal policymakers. Read our synthesis report here.

This study applies Biocapacity within a legal context tp assess the ecological significance of the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation (SON). Biocapacity, measured in global hectares, is used in conjunction with geomatics to quantify the biological productivity of the lands and waters in the region. The integration of geomatics with the Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity methodology offers a unique perspective, contributing to legal discussions, with the potential for broader applications in other legal cases or land assessments. To read more, click here.

We derived measures and trends from 2005 to 2015 of Ontario's Ecological Footprint of consumption, and the Biocapacity of lands and waters within Ontario. Results were derived using provincial, national and international data, following the Ecological Footprint Standards. This allows results to be compared to national and global trends and measures, and to inform measures of sustainability by comparing Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity. This work informs the Ontario Biodiversity Strategy through the leadership of the Ontario Biodiversity Council. Read our final report and learn about its application as an Ontario indicator.

York University commissioned EUC’s Ecological Footprint Initiative to assess greenhouse gas emissions, and Ecological Footprint, attributable to York from May 1 2015–April 30 2020. This was a pre-pandemic baseline of fiscal years 2016 to 2020. To read more, click here.

We accounted for scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 (upstream) greenhouse gas emissions, and ecological footprint, of a major Canadian University over a 5-year period. Our framework elaborated on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, an emerging standard for corporate and institutional-level reporting. Results were derived from data about university expenditures, metered energy, parking permits, residency and headcounts of students and staff and faculty, and transportation survey data. These were integrated with local, regional, and national emission and footprint coefficients, and benchmarked against the Canadian university sector average. Data was integrated into a database with code and queries that enhance its integrity and ease of updates and expansion in the future. The client has not yet permitted results to be shared.

We worked with external partners to develop and parameterize questions that can help to estimate the carbon emissions and Ecological Footprint of the Métis Nation of Ontario. Questions were informed by community focus groups and our experience with a preceding pilot of another community footprint calculator applied to a geographically-concentrated community. Questions will be answered by individuals providing information about their personal, and household, activities and consumption, with results aggregated on a community-wide basis to inform individual and collective changes.

We worked with a Toronto-area Parish to develop and parameterize questions that help to estimate the Ecological Footprint of the community and its member individuals and their households. Questions were piloted on a committee of the Parish, with results and recommendations documented in a project report that was shared with an international advisory council to inspire future applications.