Earth Overshoot Day marks the date where we have used all the ecological resources the planet can produce in 12 months, and it usually comes well before December 31. This year that day came on Saturday, August 22.

That mark was noted by Dell Technologies Sustainability Marketing Manager Stephen Roberts in a blog post, where  he wrote about respecting the boundaries of Earth Overshoot Day and the important role technology has to play in moving the date.

According to the international research organization Global Footprint Network, which hosts and calculates the Earth Overshoot Day, coronavirus-induced lockdowns and the overall cadence of catastrophe this year resulted in that date actually being pushed back nearly a month compared to last year. 

Despite the positive change, Global Footprint Network noted that humanity currently consumes 60% more than what can be renewed, meaning “we demand as much from nature as if we lived on 1.6 Earths.” The ecological footprint measures how fast we consume resources and generate waste compared to how fast nature can absorb our waste and generate – especially our carbon emissions.

Humanity started accumulating ecological debt in the 1970s and we have been operating in “overshoot mode” ever since, Roberts said. In fact, the annual date of Earth Overshoot Day has been coming earlier each year. In 2019, it landed in July for the first time.

“While moving the date back is a good thing, it is a product of the pandemic – a global crisis that was imposed upon us,” Roberts said. “Going forward, we can choose to move the date of Earth Overshoot Day through careful design so that all people — and wildlife — thrive within the ecological budget of Earth.”

To move that date, efforts to create “greener IT” need to continue. Roberts explained that at Dell this includes examining the materials used to make its products and how that  hardware uses energy. To this end, Dell is making moves to accelerate the circular economy and eliminate the concept of waste. 

Last year, Dell unveiled its one-for-one recycling pledge that calls for the company to recycle an equivalent product for each one that a customer buys. This follows on its 2013 “Legacy of Good” plan, which includes things like establishing a certified closed-loop plastics supply chain; starting to use reclaimed carbon fiber in products a year later; and creating commercial-scale packaging from ocean-bound plastics in 2017.  

“By driving greater energy efficiency we also help our customers on their path to reducing emissions,” Roberts said, citing a near 70% reduction of energy intensity for its whole product portfolio since 2011. 

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and virtualization are also helping the infrastructure vendors’ customers lower their consumption of ecological resources by allowing them to “better manage resources throughout operations,” Roberts explained. 

For example, Dell customer AeroFarms is using IoT and data analytics to transform agricultural production and produce 390-times more greens without soil while using 95% less water and no pesticides in their operations than a conventional farm.

“The equation is remarkably simple: investing in one’s own success is about supporting humanity’s prosperity in the long-term, just like choosing a healthy lifestyle optimizes one’s chances of leading a longer and happier life,” Roberts said.