May 09, 2025 | written by: Tommaso Ciuffoletti
Imagine you have a bank account intended to cover all your expenses for an entire year. Now imagine ending it on May 6. That's it, that's Overshoot Day for Italy: the date on which we have consumed all the natural resources our land is capable of regenerating in a year.
From that day forward, we live in ecological debt, exploiting resources that do not yet exist, or that we are taking away from other places and future generations. Globally, this day usually falls between late July and early August, but for Italy the bill comes earlier, a full four months before the end of the year.
How is Overshoot Day calculated?
Overshoot Day is an estimate developed by the Global Footprint Network, an international research organization that measures the ecological footprint of countries by comparing it to the biocapacity of the Planet. Ecological footprint takes into account all the resources we consume-from the food we eat to the energy we use, from the emissions we produce to the materials we process. Biocapacity, on the other hand, measures how much the Earth (or a nation) can regenerate over the same period: fertile soil, forests, fish, oxygen, etc.
Both are expressed with the same unit of measurement, namely global hectares, which represent one hectare of land with average productivity. To calculate Overshoot Day, researchers divide biocapacity by ecological footprint and then multiply the result by 365 (or 366 if the year is a leap year). The number they get indicates the day of the year when we start consuming more resources than the Earth can regenerate. (hdblog.it)
When the footprint exceeds biocapacity, we enter overshoot. In the case of Italy, according to 2025 data, this imbalance has already occurred on May 6.
An imperfect calculation, but an inconvenient truth
It is important to remember that Overshoot Day is an estimate, not a deadline carved in stone. It varies depending on the available data, sources and indicators used. However, its symbolic value is powerful: it forces us to ask an uncomfortable but urgent question. How long can we afford to live above the possibilities of our Planet?
The problem is not only about what we consume, but also what we leave behind. Pollution, for example, is not accounted for on Overshoot Day, but is a dramatic aggravator of it. Think of the situation in Indonesia, for which Overshoot Day comes on November 18, but whose coastlines, including those of Bali-a tourist paradise par excellence-are awash in plastic waste that threatens biodiversity and health.
Italy: a country in environmental deficit
In 2025, Italy reached its Overshoot Day a full 11 days earlier than in 2024. A figure that is not getting better, but worse. Our consumption habits are still too energy intensive, our production systems too dependent on fossil fuels, our relationship with the land often predatory.
Some numbers help us understand: if everyone lived like an average Italian citizen, we would need nearly 2.7 Planet Earths to sustain global consumption. Yet, we have only one.
Every year, in Italy:
. about 67 kg of food is wasted per capita,
. more than 2 square meters of soil are cemented over every second,
. and millions of tons of natural resources are imported from other, often poorer and less protected countries.
Italy is a country rich in biodiversity, culture and landscapes, but too often we forget that every resource we consume leaves a trace.
It's not too late to reverse course
Overshoot Day is not just a date on the calendar: it is a call to action. Every day we postpone it is a day gained for the Planet. And every conscious choice, no matter how small, has an impact.
Reducing unnecessary consumption, limiting plastic use, moving sustainably, choosing renewable energy and supporting environmental regeneration projects are all gestures that, put together, change the world.
Plant a tree in Italy with Treedom: a concrete gesture, here and now
Treedom was created precisely to turn attention into action. By planting a tree, you contribute not only to absorb CO₂, but also to regenerate the soil, foster biodiversity and restore value to the land. And today you can do that in Italy, too, by supporting projects that involve local communities and growers caring for trees over time.
Visit this page to find out how our projects are built in Italy and this page if you want to plant your own tree with Treedom, contributing to the regeneration of resources right in our country. Because sustainability is not a distant ideal: it is a daily responsibility. And planting a tree is a simple but meaningful first step.
