On UK Overshoot Day analysis reveals overseas environmental buden of UK consumption

22.05.26, YORK, UK – On UK Overshoot Day, data analysis highlights the scale of the environmental impacts associated with UK consumption, with the vast majority of these occurring overseas. The Sustainable Consumption and Production team at SEI York has provided a wide ranging assessment of the nation’s estimated global footprint linked to agricultural commodities. The findings serve as a warning that evaluating progress purely at domestic level overlooks the significant environmental impacts embedded within international supply chains.

According to the latest results from the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption (GEIC) indicator, 99.7% of the deforestation associated with UK consumption occurs entirely outside British borders. Over the course of 12 months, British demand for global soft commodities (such as timber, beef and cocoa) can be linked to 29,300 hectares of deforestation worldwide, with 29,200 hectares cleared from overseas ecosystems.

This heavy overseas impact extends to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity pressures. Out of 9.43 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions generated by UK-linked deforestation, 9.36 million tonnes were released abroad. The researchers have also worked with the University of Cambridge on integrating their “LIFE score” for biodiversity into the model. This reveals that over 98% of the species extinction risks associated with the habitat conversion required to meet British consumption occur in overseas nations, with daily supermarket staples contributing to a loss of habitats that continues to drive global biodiversity to the brink.

The model also tracks international water use. UK consumption was linked to an estimated 6.58 billion cubic metres of blue water use (largely associated with agricultural irrigation) globally, of which 6.51 billion cubic metres was associated with production outside the UK. This international water footprint includes extraction from highly water-scarce nations, including India, Pakistan and Spain. It is associated primarily with UK consumption linked to commodities such as wheat, rice and cotton.

Chris West, Co-Director of Trase and Leader of the Sustainable Consumption and Production Group at SEI York, who leads the GEIC work, said: “While the UK is showing leadership and making strides in monitoring its environmental footprint - the data indicate that the environmental impacts associated with our consumption remain too high and are overwhelmingly felt overseas. Comprehensive environmental accountability involves both the UK and other countries accounting for impacts outside their borders. If we are to meet international biodiversity and climate goals, it is vital that governments, businesses and the public look beyond their domestic environment and economies and consider the total global footprint associated with consumption.”

While long-term data show a downward trend in the UK’s overall footprint, researchers warn that impacts remain significant and that reductions can reflect a wide range of factors. The UK economy has become more materially-efficient over time which has a positive effect. However, in certain supply chains, such as cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire, footprints are dropping partly because previous historic forest depletion means there is simply less forest left to destroy, rather than due to a transition to purely sustainable practices.

The GEIC indicator is released annually as an official UK statistic. The UK is one of only a handful of countries that have made progress in incorporating consumption-based assessments of deforestation, biodiversity or water impacts into decision-making, despite these impacts being highly-relevant to achieving international climate change and biodiversity commitments.

Notes to Editors

About the data (GEIC)

The Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption (GEIC) indicator is a world-leading science-based tool developed by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) York, in partnership with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). It links international trade statistics and economic modelling with localised environmental data to track the global footprint embedded within a nation's consumption.

Key statistics from the analysis:

• Deforestation: 29.3k hectares total footprint; 29.2k hectares (99.7%) occurs overseas.
• Carbon emissions: 9.43 million tonnes of CO₂ from deforestation; 9.36 million tonnes occur overseas.
• Water scarcity: 6.58 billion m³ of blue water consumed; 6.51 billion m³ extracted overseas, concentrated heavily in drought-vulnerable regions of India, Pakistan, and Spain.
• Extinction risk: The UK’s consumption-linked biodiversity pressure (LIFE Score) accounts for an estimated 3.32 global species extinctions, with 3.27 of those risks occurring outside the UK.
• Please note: all data from 2023, the most recent set available. GEIC is updated annually and relies on multiple international datasets on trade, production, supply chains and environmental impacts. These datasets are published after a time lag and, once available, need to be quality-checked, harmonised and processed before they can be included in GEIC. All outputs then go through a detailed quality assurance process before release. The next update, which will extend the data series to include 2024 across all metrics, is expected to be released in winter 2026.

About Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

Stockholm Environment Institute is an international non-profit research institute that tackles climate, environment and sustainable development challenges. We empower partners to meet these challenges through cutting-edge research, knowledge, tools and capacity building. Through SEI’s HQ and seven centres around the world, we engage with policy, practice and development action for a sustainable, prosperous future for all. The SEI York centre is based at the University of York.

About the University of York

A member of the prestigious Russell Group, the University of York is a dynamic, research-intensive university committed to institutional excellence and social purpose.

About UK Overshoot Day

Calculated annually by the Global Footprint Network, Country Overshoot Days mark the date on which Earth Overshoot Day would fall if all of humanity consumed resources at the same rate as that country’s citizens. In 2026, the UK's Overshoot Day falls on May 22nd, demonstrating that the country utilizes more than double its fair share of the Earth’s biocapacity.

Media contact

Toto Reissland Lichman, Engagement and Research Communications Manager

Stockholm Environment Institute York

Toto.reissland@sei.org

+44 (0)7976 098139