{"id":31378,"date":"2025-03-21T06:06:51","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T13:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.footprintnetwork.org\/?p=31378"},"modified":"2025-04-28T06:30:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T13:30:20","slug":"honorary-degree-from-siena-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.footprintnetwork.org\/2025\/03\/21\/honorary-degree-from-siena-university\/","title":{"rendered":"Honorary Degree from Siena University for Mathis Wackernagel"},"content":{"rendered":"

On March 21, a ceremony was held at the University of Siena\u2019s Rectorate building to confer an\u00a0honorary degree<\/a> in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Sustainability<\/strong>\u00a0upon scientist\u00a0Mathis Wackernagel<\/strong>, the Siena academics called \u201cone of the most influential international figures in sustainability\u201d.<\/p>\n

The University stated among the accomplishments leading to this honor his co-development of concept of the\u00a0Ecological Footprint<\/strong> in the early 1990s, an indicator that measures human impact on the environment by estimating the amount of natural resources needed to sustain our lifestyles. Also, they wanted to celebration his co-founding of Global Footprint Network<\/strong> in 2003, as well as the organization\u2019s provision of tools to monitor resource availability (biocapacity<\/strong>) and ecological footprint (Note<\/strong>: the National Footprint and Biocapacity Accounts are now produced through FoDaFo<\/a> with the help of York University<\/a>). Among this organization\u2019s initiatives is the annual\u00a0Earth Overshoot Day<\/strong><\/a>, the symbolic date marking when humanity consumes all the biological resources that Earth can regenerate in a year.<\/p>\n

The ceremony, held in the\u00a0Great Hall<\/strong>\u00a0of the university\u2019s Rectorate, began in the morning with an academic procession<\/strong> with all the deans of the university.<\/p>\n

University Rector Roberto Di Pietra<\/strong>\u00a0opened the event by honoring the new graduate:
\n“I extend my sincere gratitude to our guest for his presence and for what his personal and scholarly journey represents for us, for our era, and for a world that has lost its ‘sense of measure’ on this planet. Mathis Wackernagel\u2019s research has the merit of clearly demonstrating how much humanity is consuming Earth\u2019s resources and at what intensity. This information should concern everyone\u2014individuals, national and international institutions alike. It should drive better resource management, influence behavioral changes, and guide strategic decisions. Yet almost none of this is happening. In many international forums, discussions are dominated by a paradoxical argument: some nations claim the right to exploit resources excessively (even asserting a ‘right to pollute’) simply because Western countries did so for decades. How can we define this attitude of humanity toward its own planet? It is\u00a0arrogance<\/strong>\u2014a collective arrogance reminiscent of the myth of\u00a0Phaethon and the Chariot of Fire<\/strong>, as our Emeritus Professor Maurizio Bettini recently wrote. Institutions like ours, the University of Siena, must act for the future. We must continue to educate, research, and share knowledge, especially when arrogance grows stronger. We must defend and stand up for\u00a0science<\/strong>, which is under attack today. Awarding this honorary degree to Mathis Wackernagel reaffirms our university\u2019s commitment to sustainability. We are proud to now count him among our alumni. Thank you, Mathis, for your presence and your\u00a0lectio magistralis<\/a>.”<\/em><\/p>\n

This was followed by the\u00a0reading of the degree citation<\/strong>\u00a0by Professor\u00a0Riccardo Paoletti<\/strong>, Director of the Department of Physical, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, and the\u00a0laudatio<\/strong>\u00a0by Professor\u00a0Simone Bastianoni<\/strong>, the Rector\u2019s Delegate for Sustainability.<\/p>\n

Professor Paoletti stated:
\n“Dr. Wackernagel co-invented the Ecological Footprint, a cornerstone of sustainability studies and an inspiration for much of our university\u2019s research. These themes are integrated into our courses, theses, and doctoral dissertations.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Professor Bastianoni added:
\n“Mathis Wackernagel has played a pivotal role in sustainability science by creating an indicator that assesses humanity\u2019s environmental impact. He established\u00a0Overshoot Day<\/strong>\u00a0(August 1 in 2024), the date when humanity exhausted Earth\u2019s regenerative capacity for that year. Through the Global Footprint Network, he also recognized Siena\u2019s\u00a0Carbon Neutrality Alliance<\/strong>\u00a0as one of 100 leading examples of sustainable action.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Wackernagel then delivered his\u00a0lectio magistralis<\/a><\/strong>, titled\u00a0\u201cHow Predictable Is Our Future?\u201d<\/strong>
\n“The future is never entirely predictable, but today we can anticipate many trends. This knowledge helps us make wiser choices. What forces shape the future, and how can we measure them?”<\/em><\/p>\n

Reflecting on the honor, Wackernagel said:
\n“I am deeply moved and grateful. Being recognized by Siena is especially meaningful, not only for its centuries-old academic tradition but also for its pioneering contributions to my field, like those of\u00a0Enzo Tiezzi<\/a><\/strong>, who applied thermodynamics to social systems. Collaborations with Siena\u2019s\u00a0Ecodynamics Group<\/strong>\u00a0and its brilliant students have created enduring bonds. I feel part of this community.”<\/em><\/p>\n

The ceremony concluded with performances<\/a> by the\u00a0University Choir<\/strong>, directed by Professor Elisabetta Miraldi.<\/p>\n

The entire ceremony can be seen here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On March 21, a ceremony was held at the University of Siena\u2019s Rectorate building to confer an\u00a0honorary degree in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Sustainability\u00a0upon scientist\u00a0Mathis Wackernagel, the Siena academics called \u201cone of the most influential international figures in sustainability\u201d. The University stated among the accomplishments leading to this honor his co-development of concept of the\u00a0Ecological Footprint […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31378","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHonorary Degree from Siena University for Mathis Wackernagel - Global Footprint Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mathis Wackernagel received honorary degree from Siena University on March 21, 2025 for his development of the Ecological Footprint.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.footprintnetwork.org\/2025\/03\/21\/honorary-degree-from-siena-university\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Honorary Degree from Siena University for Mathis Wackernagel - 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