Earth Overshoot Day for Germany (May 3)

On the occasion of Earth Overshoot Day for Germany (May 3), the human rights organization Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns of the consequences of excessive resource consumption for the countries of the global south – emphasizing that it is especially the indigenous communities that are suffering from the consequences. Earth Overshoot Day marks the day on which, statistically, a country has used up all its natural resources for the entire year.

“Germany’s excessive use of global resources is not only ecologically unacceptable, but also deeply unjust. The social and human rights-related consequences are borne by others – often in regions that contribute little to the destruction of the world’s natural environment themselves,” explained Jan Königshausen, expert on indigenous peoples at the STP. “Indigenous peoples are losing their land because of the extraction of natural resources, small farmers are losing their livelihoods due to monocultures, and millions of people are forced to leave their homes because of extreme weather events.”

Latin America in particular is increasingly being used by the Global North for the supply of raw materials, as a market for inferior products, and – in the scope of climate policy initiatives – for new forms of use such as CO₂ compensation areas or for “green” forms of energy production (e.g. lithium mining). These developments are a threat to the rights and livelihoods of local and indigenous communities. “Climate protection measures must not serve as a cover for neo-colonial exploitation,” Königshausen warned.

Another example is Tanzania: There, the Maasai are under increasing pressure due to international carbon projects. In the scope of compensation programs, traditional grazing land is relabeled so that is can be used for additional carbon sequestration in the soil. However, interventions like this ignore the key role of the Indigenous people’s sustainable pastoralism for the ecological stability in the region. “Effective climate protection must be based on the recognition of traditional knowledge systems and the protection of Indigenous rights,” emphasized Laura Mahler, STP expert on sub-Saharan Africa.

The STP is calling on German companies to take responsibility for upholding human rights along global supply chains – and demands the new government to ensure that German companies strictly comply with the Supply Chain Act.