Mathis Wackernagel

Short CV

If you have heard of footprint, as in carbon footprint or ecological footprint, you already met Dr. Mathis Wackernagel. He conceived and developed this metric with his PhD advisor Bill Rees 30 years ago. Now, this idea has become commonplace for human impact on our planet. 

Over 20 years ago, he co-founded and led Global Footprint Network, a sustainability think-tank, known for its annual calculations comparing the footprint and biocapacity of every country on Earth. Many cite the key statistics from these accounts: humanity is now using 1.8 Earths. 

This organization is also known for its annual Earth Overshoot Day. This day is regularly featured in over 100 countries around the globe. Mathis has engaged with national governments, international organizations, corporations and cities to address the implications of ecological overshoot for their ability to operate successfully in a future of climate change and resource constraints.

Selected Awards

• 2025. Sustainable Shapers in category Vision & Innovation. Awarded for the first time on September 2, 2025, by Sustainable Switzerland (NZZ) to honor individuals who, through their entrepreneurial, scientific, or social efforts, initiate tangible change and drive sustainable development in and from Switzerland. https://sustainableswitzerland.ch/shapers/gewinner
• 2025. Honorary degree, “Doctore magistrale ad honorem” in Ecotossicologia e Sostentabilità Ambientale. University of Siena, March 21, 2025. https://www.wackernagel.info/honoris-causa-siena
• 2024. Sustainability Award – Leadership in Implementation. Nobel Sustainability Trust Foundation, in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich on Nov. 21, 2024, 300,000 SEK. https://www.nobelsustainability.org/post/sustainability-awards-presented-by-the-nobel-sustainability-trust
• 2024. “Orden de la Democracia Simón Bolívar” from the Senate of Colombia and “Gran Cruz Placa de Oro” from the House of Representatives of Colombia on October 23/24, 2024, for the co-creation of the ecological footprint with William Rees, an essential tool to understand our relationship with the regenerative capacity of ecosystems on our planet, the development of Global Footprint Network, the Earth Overshoot Day campaign, and the effects it has on raising awareness about our ecological crisis.
• 2022. Honorary doctorate, University of Stirling, UK. November 24, 2022. https://www.stir.ac.uk/news/2022/november-2022-news/sustainability-and-sports-figures-to-be-recognised-by-university-of-stirling/
• 2018. World Sustainability Award. The World Sustainability Award, funded by the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, is conferred upon individual researchers or research teams who have made an outstanding academic or societal contribution to sustainability in general, or to a sustainability-relevant issue in particular. 66,000 USD.
• 2012. Grosser Binding-Preis für Natur- und Umweltschutz (“Major Binding Prize for Nature and Environmental Protection”). For the scientific development and promotion of the Ecological Footprint, 50,000 CHF. http://www.binding.li/html/preisverleihung_2012.html
• 2012. Blue Planet Prize of The Asahi Glass Foundation (with Dr. Bill Rees) awarded to individuals or organizations each year that make outstanding achievements in scientific research and its application in helping to solve global environmental problems. 50 million Yen. http://www.af-info.or.jp/en/blueplanet/list.html and https://www.af-info.or.jp/en/blueplanet/list-2012.html#text-02
• 2011. Zayed International Prize for Environment - action leading to positive change in society (Zayed Foundation, Dubai, and UNEP). 100,000 USD
• 2007. Honorary doctorate, University of Bern, Switzerland. (Dr. h.c. der Phil.-nat. Fakultät der Universität Bern). December 2007.

Research Interests

Sustainability metrics, resource accounting, sustainability strategy, 

Selected Publications

• Wackernagel, Mathis, 2024, “Ecological Footprint” 167-175, in Christine Overdevest, editor, 2024, Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Sociology, Elgar Publishers.
• Rees, William E., and Mathis Wackernagel, 2023. “Ecological Footprint Accounting: Thirty Years and Still Gathering Steam”, Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 65:5, 5-18, doi.org/10.1080/00139157.2023.2225405
• Robinson, Abigail, Viola Csordas, and Mathis Wackernagel, 2022. “Defining limits: Ecological overshoot as a driver of conflict” in Brown, O. and Nicolucci-Altman, G. A White Paper on the Future of Environmental Peacebuilding, Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, International Union for Conservation of Nature, PeaceNexus Foundation, Environmental Law Institute, Environmental Peacebuilding Association www.ecosystemforpeace.org
• Wackernagel, Mathis, 2022, “Is the Global Economy Running a Pyramid Scheme?”, Pages 191-204 in Peter A. Wilderer, Martin Grambow, Michael Molls, Konrad Oexle (editors) 2022, Strategies for Sustainability of the Earth System, ISBN: 978-3-030-74457-1 doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74458-8
• Wackernagel, Mathis, Laurel Hanscom, Priyangi Jayasinghe, David Lin, Adeline Murthy, Evan Neill, Peter Raven, 2021. “The Importance of Resource Security for Poverty Eradication.” Nature Sustainability dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41893-021-00708-4
• Bradshaw, Corey J. A., Paul R. Ehrlich, Andrew Beattie, Gerardo Ceballos, Eileen Crist, Joan Diamond, Rodolfo Dirzo, Anne H. Ehrlich, John Harte, Mary Ellen Harte, Graham Pyke, Peter H. Raven, William J. Ripple, Frédérik Saltré, Christine Turnbull, Mathis Wackernagel, Daniel T. Blumstein, 2021, “Underestimating the challenges of avoiding a ghastly future”, Frontiers in Conservation Science / Front. Conserv. Sci. Vol 1, Article 615419  doi: 10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419.
• Wackernagel, Mathis and Bert Beyers, 2019. Ecological Footprint: Managing the Biocapacity Budget, New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island.
• Chambers, Nicky, Craig Simmons and M. Wackernagel, 2000. Sharing Nature’s Interest: Ecological Footprints as an Indicator for Sustainability, EarthScan, London. (Translated into Italian: Manuale de la Impronta Ecologica, Edizioni Ambiente, Milan, 2002).
• Sturm, Andreas, M. Wackernagel and Kaspar Müller, 2000. The Winners and Losers in Global Competition: Why Eco-Efficiency Reinforces Competitiveness: A Study of 44 Nations, Verlag: Rüegger, Chur/Zürich. ISBN 3 7253 0658 3 (adapted and improved version of the German edition).
• Wackernagel, M. and William E. Rees, 1996, Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth. New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island.