The ecological footprint (EF) provides an aggregated indicator of natural resource consumption (energy and materials) in much the same way that economic indicators (such as Gross Domestic Product or the Retail Prices Index) have been adopted as a way of representing dimensions of the financial economy.

Co-originated in the early 90s by Professor William Rees and Dr. Mathis Wackernagel, ecological footprint analysis has rapidly taken hold and is now in common use in many countries at national and local levels. Its application includes analysis of policy, benchmarking performance, education and awareness raising and scenario development. The European Commission's Common Indicators Programme (http://www.sustainable-cities.org/) has adopted the EF as an indicator of regional environmental sustainability and the methodology has support from many in the public, private and civil sectors worldwide.

An annual Footprint of Nations study, now published as part of the Living Planet Report (WWF et al., 2002), provides a national context for considering regional ecological footprints (Lewan, L. & Simmons, C., 2001, and Chambers, N. et al., 2000). The methodology has become more refined providing a more accurate picture of human appropriation of nature each time.

There are numerous examples of ecological footprints projects. A short description of the methodology has been given below. However if you wish to explore the methodology of the ecological footprint in more depth then please refer to the following studies:

• 
  World-Wide Fund for Nature International, United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Redefining Progress & Center for Sustainability Studies (2002) Living Planet Report 2002 (World-Wide Fund for Nature, Gland, Switzerland).
• Lewan, L. & Simmons, C. 2001. The use of Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity Analyses as Sustainability Indicators for Sub-national Geographical Areas: A Recommended Way Forward. http://www.prosus.uio.no/english/sus_dev/tools/oslows/2.htm
• Chambers, N., Simmons, C. & Wackernagel, M., 2000. Sharing Nature's Interest: Ecological footprints as an indicator of sustainability. Earthscan, London. 
• Wackernagel, M., Schultz, N. B., Deumling, D., Callejas Linares, A., Jenkins, M., Kapos, V., Monfreda, C., Loh, J., Myers, N., Norgaard, R., Randers, J. (2002) PNAS 99(14) 9266-9271
• Aall, C., Norland, I. (2002): The Ecological Footprint for the municipality of Oslo - results and suggestions for use of ecological footprint as a sustainability indicator. (Det økologiske fotavtrykk for Oslo kommune - resultater og forslag til anvendelse av økologisk fotavtrykk som styringsindikator). Report. Western Norway Research Insitute/ProSus. (English summary can be downloaded from http://www.vestforsk.no/publikasjonar.asp?gruppe=Miljøgruppa)
• Simmons, C., Lewis, K. and Barrett, J. (2000) Two feet - Two Approaches: a component-based model of ecological footprinting. Ecol Econ. 32 pp375-380
• Barrett, J.; Vallack, H.; Jones, A. & Haq, G. 2002. A Material Flow Analysis and Ecological Footprint of York: Technical Report. Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden.