#MoveTheDate
11
Days
Reducing the length of work-weeks, without a reduction in pay, has the potential to move Earth Overshoot Day by 11 Days.
What is the solution?
Reducing the number of hours worked weekly by 10%.
How does it #MoveTheDate?
Studies have shown that reductions in average work hours have a positive impact on a number of factors affecting a country’s Ecological Footprint.
How is it scalable?
Reductions in work-hours are associated with increased productivity during the hours worked, as well as improvements in well-being, health, and life-satisfaction. At the same time, the decoupling of productivity and income observed over the last few decades means that there is little material benefit to working longer hours.
What is the solution?
Reducing the number of hours worked weekly by 10%.
How does it #MoveTheDate?
Studies have shown that reductions in average work hours have a positive impact on a number of factors affecting a country’s Ecological Footprint.
How is it scalable?
Reductions in work-hours are associated with increased productivity during the hours worked, as well as improvements in well-being, health, and life-satisfaction. At the same time, the decoupling of productivity and income observed over the last few decades means that there is little material benefit to working longer hours.
According to a study conducted by Platform London, governments could accelerate climate action by introducing shorter working hours. The reduction in average footprint brought about by decreasing the number of hours worked weekly is the result of a variety of factors, including less time spent commuting and less commercial energy consumption.
It is also the result, however, of a general shift towards more sustainable activities and consumption patterns made possible by the reduction in time-pressure experienced by workers. Studies have shown that, after controlling for income, people working more hours tend to have less sustainable consumption patterns. This means that reducing the number of hours worked weekly could lead to more people adopting more sustainable practices, like cooking instead of eating ready-made meals, walking and cycling to work instead of driving, or reducing the consumption of goods and appliances which promise ‘time-saving’ benefits.
There’s no benefit in waiting!
Acting now puts you at a strategic advantage in a world increasingly defined by ecological overshoot. Countless solutions exist that #MoveTheDate. They’re creative, economically viable, and ready to deploy at scale. With them, we can make ourselves more resilient and #MoveTheDate of Earth Overshoot Day. If we move the date 6 days each year, humanity can be out of overshoot before 2050.