Norway has already used up its Earth's resource limit. Only 'overconsumption' until the end of 2025

When the fjord country has already used up its share of global resources by April, it clearly shows how extreme the overconsumption is. Norway ranks 25th on the Global Footprint Network list for 2025, placing it among the countries with the highest consumption per capita. To achieve a sustainable level, the fjord country must reduce consumption by 75%.

According to estimates by the environmental organization WWF, if the entire world had as high consumption as Norwegians, 3.6 planet Earths would be needed. The Global Footprint Network bases its calculations on the largest environmental impact factors, such as climate emissions, forest resource consumption, and the food system.

An average resident of Norway uses 18.6 tons of raw materials to cover their annual private consumption. In comparison, the global average per person is 4.9 tons, according to the Norwegian Society for Nature Conservation.

According to the WWF's Living Planet Report for 2024, 73% of the world's animal population has been lost over the last 50 years. The Earth is thus approaching dangerous tipping points that will have serious consequences for people and nature worldwide.

The greatest negative progress can be observed in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the animal population is declining by an average of 95%. In Africa, an average of 76% of the animal population disappears, and in Asia and the Pacific – 60%. In Europe and North America, there has been a decline of 34% and 39% respectively over the last 50 years. WWF writes that this is because significant impacts on nature occurred already before 1970.

According to WWF, in 2024, the extraction and consumption of natural resources accounted for 55% of climate change and 90% of biodiversity loss on land.

– The consequences are no longer hypothetical, they are happening now. We are witnessing increasingly extreme weather events, ecosystem collapses, water shortages, and threats to food security – says Elise Åsnes, leader of the Spire organization.

Åsnes believes that the younger generation has worse conditions for leading a good and safe life. However, she believes it is not too late for change.

– For my generation, this means a future characterized by greater uncertainty and a constant struggle to ensure basic living conditions. We have much to gain by reversing this trend. We, the young, deserve a future where people and nature come first, not a system that prioritizes economic growth above all. The only thing missing is the political will to take decisive action. We must show politicians that many of us demand this – she says.

Sources: WWF, Dagsavisen