Have you ever heard of "Earth Overshoot Day"? This is the day when we have exhausted the resources that nature can restore within a year. And that was in 2020 on August 22.
The Global Footprint Network annually determines the "Earth Overshoot Day". It marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year; we have spent our "annual budget" and are operating in “overshoot”. Today, August 22, 2020, humanity has symbolically used up its natural resources. From now on, it will consume more water, food, wood and land than nature can produce until the end of the year. Therefore, we are maintaining our ecological deficit and living at the expense of the environment for the rest of the year. Since the 1970s, this day in the annual calendar has moved forward continuously. In 2019, it fell on July 29.
To determine the exact day for each year, Earth’s biocapacity (= nature's ability to renew the resources consumed by humans and to break down pollutants) is compared to the global ecological footprint. If the consumption of resources exceeds the amount regenerated within one year, one speaks of "global overshoot".
Since less CO2 will be emitted globally in 2020 (the global CO2 footprint is expected to be reduced by 14.5 percent), the date of the "Earth Overshoot Day" was moved back significantly. Although this day has been postponed by almost a month compared to the previous year, August 22, 2020, drastically reminds us how much we humans are straining nature by living on Earth's expense until the end of the year.
We at SWAROVSKI OPTIK work and produce our long-range optics in Tyrol, an area of exceptional beauty. We have always considered it our duty to care for the environment, protect nature, and preserve the wealth of different species.
The electrical energy we consume causes almost zero CO2 emissions, as no CO2 is being emitted when generating the electricity purchased by SWAROVSKI OPTIK.
Energy generation by means of photovoltaics will become increasingly important in the future. Our 200 kWp photovoltaic system exclusively feeds the company's own power grid. This means a reduction of about 143,000 kWh per year.
The company's own bus service transports up to 80 people a day, which in contrast to individual transport massively reduces CO2. In addition, 100 e-bikes are available to our employees. In this way, our team members not only reduce their personal ecological footprint, but also do something for their health and well-being at the same time.
SWAROVSKI OPTIK’s mission is to inspire people to love nature and encourage them to treat it with care and respect as a guest. Everyone can contribute: we have planted a 460-m2 flower meadow on the company premises, for example, which is bee and insect-friendly. With the use of LED outdoor lights, we are consuming less power in general. In addition, the sharp-edged demarcation reduces light emission to our neighbors and demonstrably attracts fewer insects. Ideas that you can also easily implement in your private home.
These are just a few examples that show just how multifaceted corporate measures for environmental protection and resource conservation can be.