ABSTRACT
The ecological footprint measures the biologically productive area needed to sustain a certain human community (Rees 1996; Wackernagel and Rees 1998; Wackernagel and Silverstein 2000) or process (Scotti et al. 2009), as already indicated in Chapter 7. Because of its intuitive meaning and ease of computation, it has rapidly taken root as a tool for assessing the human pressure on natural resources and ecosystem services. Accordingly, it is perceived as a tool that helps to set up an agenda for local policies. For the ecological footprint to be of help to local administrations, it must produce a reliable picture of what happens in the territory of their jurisdiction, and this includes impacts due to both citizens and production.
