Are You Working on a Project to #MoveTheDate of the German and Earth Overshoot Day? Let us know! #MoveTheDate May 5, 2021 marked the German Overshoot Day. This means that between 1 January and 5 May, German residents have used as much ecological resources and services as the planet is able to renew per person in the entire year. The Earth Overshoot Day for 2021 falls on 29 July, which is almost as early as it was on 2019, after being momentarily pushed back in 2020 as an effect of the pandemic lockdowns. Many civil society projects are showcasing what we all can do to #MoveTheDate. Show the world how you’re moving the date by sharing your solutions with us! Our We #MoveTheDate project aims at moving the date of the German and Earth Overshoot Day by building on synergies at two levels: expanding participation and positioning citizens at the heart of climate engagement. A social media campaign in close collaboration with the project’s pilot cities of Aachen and Wuppertal highlighted both the relevance of the date as well as promising local solutions that are already being implemented to move the date. “With almost half a year remaining, we will already have used up our quota of the Earth’s biological resources for 2021 by 29 July. If we need reminding that we’re in the grip of a climate and ecological emergency, Earth Overshoot Day is it,” says Councillor Susan Aitken, the Leader of Glasgow City Council. Glasgow will host the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November 2021. With the bounce back of the Earth Overshoot Day date, the urgency of action is underlined once more. Many solutions are already being implemented on the local level. To amplify these projects and initiatives, as well as the extensive engagement and invested energy of civil society within cities, the We #MoveTheDate project is running a solutions competition. From saving food, to repair cafes, one-person initiatives or neighbourhood associations, We #MoveTheDate invites everyone to showcase what is being done or can be done in Germany to move the date. Local projects can be submitted online onto the #MoveTheDate solution map during July and August 2021. Submissions will be evaluated by a panel including a representative of the city administration from Aachen and Wuppertal, the local community, the Mercator Foundation and the CSCP. Submit your own or favourite project that moves the date to the #MoveTheDate solution map! The project is collaborating closely with the city administrations in Wuppertal and Aachen. Zooming in on one topic per city, We #MoveTheDate will shed light on the potential towards a sustainable change in the specific area. This will be carried out through collaborative workshops with the citizens. Drawing on behavioural insights and research, the civil society will be invited to jointly identify and discuss barriers and opportunities for local change on the topic of mobility in Aachen and sustainable food consumption in Wuppertal. The project We #MoveTheDate: Local Responses for a Good Life is carried out in partnership with the Global Footprint Network and funded by the Stiftung Mercator. For further questions, please contact Alexandra Kessler.