Humanity has used up Earth’s annual resources and is now living in ecological debt

On July 30, 2026, the planet reached Earth Overshoot Day, marking the point at which humanity had consumed all the natural resources that Earth can regenerate in a single year.

Since that date, the world has been using reserves beyond the planet’s natural capacity. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, the current level of human consumption is equivalent to using the resources of 1.73 Earths.

This ecological deficit is not a recent development, but a trend that experts say has been deepening for more than five decades. Rising demand for raw materials and natural resources, coupled with Earth’s limited ability to regenerate them, is placing increasing pressure on ecosystems and accelerating their degradation.

Cities are among the main drivers of this problem. The World Wide Fund for Nature points out that urban areas cover just 3 percent of the planet’s surface, but consume around 75 percent of global energy and produce nearly 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions linked to human activity.

In the face of the continued expansion of the urban population, experts estimate that choices involving clean transport, the construction of energy-efficient buildings and the sustainable management of resources will be essential. These measures could help curb consumption and reduce the planet’s ecological debt.