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Application Standards
What are the Standards for calculating the Footprint?
The Standards Committee, composed of representatives from Global Footprint Network partner organizations, issued Ecological Footprint Standards 2006 at the Footprint Forum in Siena, Italy on June 16, 2006. This first edition of Footprint Standards focuses on such items as use of source data, derivation of conversion factors, establishment of study boundaries, and communication of findings. The standards incorporate public feedback from 2 rounds of public comment.
Download the document: Ecological Footprint Standards 2006
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Why does the Footprint need Standards?
A growing number of government agencies, organizations and communities are adopting the Ecological Footprint as a core indicator of sustainable resource use.
As the number of Ecological Footprint practitioners around the world increases, different approaches to conducting Footprint studies could lead to fragmentation and divergence of the methodology. This would reduce the ability of the Footprint to produce consistent and comparable results across applications, and could generate confusion.
The value of the Footprint as a trusted sustainability metric therefore depends not only on the scientific integrity of the methodology, but also on consistent application of the methodology across analyses. It also depends on communicating results of analyses in a manner that does not distort or misrepresent findings.
To meet these goals, Global Footprint Network initiated a consensus, committee-based process for the development of standards governing Footprint applications, and for an ongoing scientific review of the methodology. Ensuring that Footprint results are both credible and consistent will encourage even more widespread adoption of the Ecological Footprint, increasing its effectiveness as a catalyst for a sustainable future.
How are the Standards developed?
In 2004, Global Footprint Network initiated a consensus, committee-based process to establish a scientific review process for the Footprint methodology and develop application and communication standards. These Footprint Committees, which began operating in the spring of 2005, are comprised of members drawn from the Network's partner organizations, and represent academia, government, NGOs and consulting firms.
The Standards Committee issued the first Ecological Footprint Standards in June of 2006. Development of the next edition of Ecological Footprint Standards has begun is scheduled to be released in 2009. In this edition the Footprint Committees will expand the Standards to more specifically address organizational Footprints, as well as the Footprint of Products, Processes and Services.
All Global Footprint Network Partners are required to comply with the most recent Ecological Footprint Standards.