What are the limitations of the Ecological Footprint?
The Footprint only addresses ecological sustainability and tells us nothing about our quality of life (although it may indicate what conditions will be like in the future).
It is a quantitative measure, and does not measure the quality of the environment. So it does not take into account the impact of pollutants, the quality of soil management or other external factors that may have an effect on natural resources such as nuclear power. Some of these impacts will be addressed in the future. Currently, an international working group of experts is examining how nuclear power generation can be expressed adequately.
A comparison between Footprints and Biocapacity accounts on a global scale tells us whether we consume within ecological limits. However comparisons of a local population’s Footprint to the local or regional biocapacity does not necessarily predict whether that Footprint could be sustained on a global scale.
Additionally, the Ecological Footprint indicator should be supported with local data and should also consider economic and social indicators in order to give the whole picture of sustainable development.