Earth Overshoot Day 2026: All You Need to Know
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Earth Overshoot Day is the date when the global consumption of resources of the year becomes greater than the Earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources in the year. The date is predicted each year on June 5. Ideally, the consumption of resources would equal the regeneration of them, but we use a lot more resources than we can create. So, we had to ask: What is the most important information you need to know about this year’s Earth Overshoot Day?
👉 Official Name: Earth Overshoot Day
💚 Cause: Measuring when global consumption overtakes global regeneration
📅 Next Date: TBA June 5, 2026
🌐 Official Website: https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org
🐦 Hashtag: #MoveTheDate
Keep on reading to find out all the important information about Earth Overshoot Day at a glance, including its big picture, why it’s important, and how you can get involved. We’ll then share its brief history, three interesting facts about it, its future dates, and how you’ll never miss any important awareness event again.
The Most Important Information About Earth Overshoot Day at a Glance
1️⃣ The big picture: Earth Overshoot Day is an awareness day founded by the Global Footprint Network and tracks the date that global consumption exceeds global resources. It is an important resource to highlight overconsumption and waste. Their campaign aims to ‘Move the Date,’ and make this day fall later each year, in hopes of equalizing the amount of resources we can create in a year to the amount we consume.
2️⃣ Why it is important: If we keep consuming at a higher rate than we can create, it will have a disastrous impact on the environment. If everyone on the planet lived like an average American, we would need five earths to sustain our lifestyle. Furthermore, a report by UNICEF shows that the overconsumption of the world’s wealthiest countries is destroying children’s environments across the globe. Additionally, these resources are wasted at a frightening rate, with over ⅓ of all food produced wasted, while 815 million people go hungry. Reducing global overconsumption and waste is vital to slow climate change and to protect the environment and people around the world.
3️⃣ How you can get involved: You can get involved in Earth Overshoot Day by making your lifestyle choices more eco-friendly, spreading awareness about global resources, or by supporting a charity that aims to reduce waste and protect the environment:
- Be eco-conscious: There are always ways to make your own lifestyle more environmentally friendly, from switching to public transport instead of driving to cutting down on eating meat or recycling. Read up on the best ways to become more sustainable to help preserve our planet’s resources.
- Spread awareness: The more people that incorporate environmentally-friendly habits into their lifestyle, the greater the positive impact will be! So, share your knowledge about Earth Overshoot Day and sustainability with strangers and loved ones alike, to work towards pushing Earth Overshoot Day back.
- Support a charity: Many charities are dedicated to preserving the planet’s resources. Whether you can help them with a financial donation, by volunteering your time, or simply sharing their important work, supporting a charity is a great way to celebrate Earth Overshoot Day.
Below are our favorite charities that are especially relevant for Earth Overshoot Day:
- Earth Overshoot Day
- Best Charities for Climate Change
- Best Charities That Fight to Protect Our Environment
- Best Charities That Fight to Reduce Food Waste
A Brief History of Earth Overshoot Day
When was this event established: Andrew Simms from the UK think tank New Economics Foundation first came up with the idea of Earth Overshoot Day. Partnering with Global Footprint Network in 2006, they created the first Earth Overshoot Day campaign to raise awareness of waste and promote a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
How has it developed since then: Since its founding, the Global Footprint Network has retroactively worked out the Earth Overshoot Day for every year beginning in 1971. Earth Overshoot Day has also grown in awareness, typically receiving over 10 billion social media impressions annually. They have also partnered with a major charity, the World Wildlife Foundation, since 2007 to reach even more people.
3 Interesting Facts About Earth Overshoot Day
- Overconsumption increase: In the last decade, the consumption of services and goods has risen by 28%, with Americans taking the greatest share of the world’s major commodities including coffee, lead, and oil seeds.
- Fast fashion waste: 100 billion garments are created annually and 92 million tonnes of this ends up in landfill. If this trend isn’t curbed, we are on track to produce 134 billion tonnes of fashion waste by the end of the decade.
- Consumption breakdown: 20% of the world’s population is responsible for 80% of consumption. Moreover, we now use 50% more natural resources than we did 30 years ago.
Upcoming Dates of Earth Overshoot Day
Earth Overshoot Day is observed every year on the day when global consumption exceeds the amount of global resources it is possible to regenerate in the year. It is announced annually on June 5.
| Year | Date | Day(s) |
| 2025 | July 24, 2025 | Thursday |
| 2026 | TBA June 5, 2026 | TBA June 5, 2026 |
| 2027 | TBA June 5, 2027 | TBA June 5, 2027 |
Never Miss an Awareness Event Again
Sources
- Earth Overshoot Day: Home
- Footprint Network: Home
- Bank & Vogue: 10 Overconsumption Facts That Will Make You Rethink Your Purchasing Decisions
- Unicef: Over-consumption in the world’s richest countries is destroying children’s environments globally, new report says
- Friends of the Earth: Consumption: Natural resources and the environment
- Green Match: 40 Ways to Be More Eco Friendly in 2024
- Earth Overshoot Day: About Earth Overshoot Day
- Impactful Ninja: 9 Best Charities for Climate Change (A Complete 2024 List)
- Impactful Ninja: 10 Best Charities That Fight to Protect Our Environment (A Complete 2024 List)
- Impactful Ninja: 9 Best Charities That Fight to Reduce Food Waste (A Complete 2024 List)
- Heal the Planet: Overconsumption
- Earth: 10 Concerning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics
- Sustainability for All: Natural Resources Deficit
- Friends of the Earth Europe: Overconsumption: Our Use of the World’s Natural Resources
