Ecological and Carbon Footprint

Your carbon footprint only makes up for around 60% of your ecological footprint.

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Difference between ecological footprint and carbon footprint

Your ecological footprint compares the total resources you consume with the area (land and water) that is necessary to replenish those total resources.

The carbon footprint also considers your resource use, but only the greenhouse gases released due to the burning of fossil fuels to support your lifestyle.

Consequently, your carbon footprint is only a component (about 60%) of your ecological footprint.

Ecological Footprint definition and meaning

An ecological footprint is the impact a person has on the environment. It is expressed as the amount of land required to sustain the natural resources used to support a person’s lifestyle, measured in terms of biologically productive land.

The size of a person’s footprint is influenced by factors such as the size of their house, the types of food and beverages they consume, the mode and extent of transport they use and the amount and type of clothing purchased.

How big is my ecological footprint?

The average Australian ecological footprint is about four times the sustainable level.

The Global Footprint Network calculator can estimate your ecological footprint. However, given the complexity involved in establishing the type and extent of natural resources used to support a person’s lifestyle, it is inherently difficult to exactly calculate one’s ecological footprint.

Can I reduce my ecological footprint?

Changes to your lifestyle can reduce your ecological footprint, such as switching to renewable energy, reducing your reliance on fossil fuels for transport, minimising new clothes purchases, changing your diet and reducing your waste.

However, even with a concerted effort to reduce your ecological footprint, you will never be able to eliminate it by simply reducing the natural resources that you use.

How can I offset my ecological footprint?

You can offset your ecological footprint by protecting and regenerating natural ecosystems, providing people and nature with a sustainable future.

Bio·R provides you with the opportunity to offset your ecological footprint by donating $1/day to recreate habitat for biodiversity. Over your lifetime, this $1/day offset will allow 1 hectare of biodiverse habitat to be re-established on previously cleared land.

To help save our species, Bio·R reconstructs habitats that are built to meet their specific requirements, mimicking natural vegetation they use with the full and complex complement of plant species including grasses, herbs and shrubs, as well as trees. Importantly, Bio·R aims to build habitats that match the original densities and diversities of plants and how the various plant species are intermixed, as this determines the types and numbers of animal species that can be supported in the new habitats.

Why offset with Bio·R?

Bio·R is well-placed to regenerate natural ecosystems at the scale required to halt species loss and grow biodiversity, because: we use science to create habitat and to continually manage our plantings for positive biodiversity outcomes; we have a team of ecological experts leading our activities; and we connect people with our community and nature, ultimately ensuring the sustainability of our recreated habitat through intergenerational ownership.

Importantly, Bio·R won’t simply plant trees to offset your carbon footprint; we will reconstruct habitat for biodiversity to offset your ecological footprint.

So, start offsetting your ecological footprint with Bio·R today to leave no impact on the environment and lead a truly sustainable life.

Where will you build my 1 hectare of natural ecosystem?

We will build your 1 hectare of natural ecosystem in the Mount Lofty and Kangaroo Island region, one of Australia’s 15 National Biodiversity Hotspots.

The Mount Lofty region has largely been cleared for human use, with only 10% of native vegetation remaining across the region. Many of the regions’ species are projected to vanish because of a lack of habitat.

Your 1 hectare will help ensure that the species of the Mount Lofty and Kangaroo Island region are conserved, maintaining the region’s high biodiversity for the future.

Will my 1 hectare of biodiversity make a difference?

As the ‘Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts’, your 1 hectare will be an invaluable piece in Bio·R’s growing movement. Over the next 100 years we aim to rebuild 150,000 hectares of habitat for biodiversity in the Mount Lofty and Kangaroo Island region. With this amount of reconstructed habitat, we will save our wildlife in this region for future generations to enjoy.

Your 1 hectare will also be part of an even bigger world movement – the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Regeneration. From 2021 to 2030, the UN is calling on people to help protect and restore ecosystems around the world, because only with healthy ecosystems can we enhance people’s lives, fight climate change and halt biodiversity loss.