XIINATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THEITALIAN LOCAL AGENDA 21 ASSOCIATION

Interview with Mathis Wackernagel, President of Global Footprint Network

Why should we track our demand on nature?

Two significant misperceptions have for too long shackled our approach to environmental protection and climate change. First, the error is simply that most country governments still perceive that taking action is a burden they will need to shoulder for the good of the world – rather than the understanding that their lack of action in environmental protection and climate change will have an increasingly important impact on their competitiveness and economic well being. Second, that we need only to look at CO2 emissions and hence oversee the other increasing ecological deficits with the more immediate and country relevant risks arising from the lack of action.

The question by governments of “What’s in it for me?” and the lack of an answer perceived relevant for their country’s short to medium term well being has up to now been a major stumbling block to progress and international agreement. But if leaders and their administrations truly understood the full extend of the issue and its underlying resource dynamics and hence possible challenges to their economies, they would have the exact opposite approach.

Why shouldlocal governments track resource consumption and natural capital?

Ecological Footprint accounts allow governments to track a city or region’s demand on natural capital, and to compare this demand with the amount of natural capital actually available. The accounts also give governments the ability to answer more specific questions about the distribution of these demands within their economy. In other words, it gives them information about their resource metabolism. Without regional resource accounting, governments can easily overlook or fail to realize the extent of these kinds of opportunities and threats. The Ecological Footprint, a comprehensive, science-based resource accounting system that compares people’s use of nature with nature’s ability to regenerate, helps eliminate this blind spot.

Which information it’s possible to get with Ecological Footprint?

Footprint accounts reveal the ecological demand associated with residential consumption, the production of value-added products, and the generation of exports. They also help assess the ecological capacity embodied in the imports upon which a region depends. The accounts provide a common language and a clearly defined methodology that can be used to support staff training and to communicate about sustainability issues with other levels of government or with the public.

How the Ecological Footprint can cohabit with our Economic System?

The question should be put more the other way round – how is it possible for an economy to operate without the resource input and the ecological services needed for every single human process? While we can ignore this dependence for some time, such ignorance leads to overuse, and erodes economy’s resilience and ability to operate.

What must a local governmentdo to adopt an Ecological Footprint approach?

Nobody must adopt the Footprint. But we would argue that it is in their interest to do so. Like an airplane pilot wants a fuel gage on his or her dashboard. Once governments really want the Footprint, it is easy to establish it. If it is done for many municipalities across a country, it will be far more cost-effective, simple and consistent than if just one or two do it.

How is it possible to use the information collected in the daily management?

Footprint accounts add value to existing data sets on production, trade and environmental performance by providing a comprehensive way to interpret them. For instance, the accounts can help guide “environmental management systems” by offering a framework for gathering and organizing data, setting targets and tracking progress. The accounts can also serve as environmental reporting requirements, and inform strategic decision-making for regional economic development.

Elisabetta Mutto Accordi