How many earths do we need, if the rest of the world consumed as much as Hong Kong?

With the second largest ecological footprint in Asia and wildlife populations on the decline, it’s time for some self-reflection in the city, experts say

Illustration: Kaliz Lee

Hongkongers consume so much that if everyone else in the world lived like us, we would need almost four Planet Earths to sustain us.

Hong Kong’s ecological footprint per capita, or the area required to sustain a person’s use of natural resources, has reached a historic high, according to a study by conservation body WWF, released last week. The city’s footprint is the second largest in Asia, behind Singapore, and 17thin the world.

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