What is the Doughnut?
An introduction to the concept at the heart of Doughnut Economics
Version 1.0 (September 2020)
Overview
This tool is an introduction to the concept at the heart of Doughnut Economics. It's been designed as both a document that can be shared and a presentation that can be given in a classroom, a workshop or a meeting. Either download it as a pdf (below), open it within Google drive (links below) or scroll down to read on this page.
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What is the Doughnut?
Think of it as a compass for human prosperity in the 21st century, whose goal is to meet the needs of all people within the means of the planet.
It consists of two concentric rings:
- A social foundation – to ensure that no one is left falling short on life’s essentials.
- An ecological ceiling – to ensure that humanity does not collectively overshoot planetary boundaries.
Between these two boundaries lies a doughnut-shaped space that is both ecologically safe and socially just – a space in which humanity can thrive.
The essence of the Doughnut
1. The social foundation – below which lies critical human deprivation
2. The ecological ceiling – beyond which lies critical planetary degradation
These two boundaries are foundational in the sense that humanity should always seek to avoid critical human deprivation and critical planetary degradation. But how best to define their specific dimensions and measure their current status relative to desired outcomes will keep evolving over time.
The Doughnut’s dimensions
(as of 2017)
The Social Foundation
The 12 dimensions of the social foundation are derived from the social priorities agreed in the Sustainable Development Goals (UN, 2015).
The Ecological Ceiling
The 9 dimensions of the ecological ceiling are the nine planetary boundaries defined by Earth-system scientists (Steffen et al., 2015).
Quantifying the Doughnut
The image below reveals the current state of humanity and our planetary home: think of it as humanity’s ‘selfie’ in the early days of the 21st century.
Each dimension is measured, where possible, with 1 or 2 indicators, and the red wedges show the extent of shortfall and overshoot of the Doughnut’s social and planetary boundaries.
It shows us that millions of people still fall short on all 12 of the social dimensions, and that humanity has already overshot at least four planetary boundaries (air pollution and chemical pollution are currently unquantified).
To achieve the 21st century goal of meeting the needs of all within the means of the living planet means eliminating all of the red from the Doughnut diagram, and this must be done from both sides at the same time.
Find out more
- Explore the dimensions of the social foundation and ecological ceiling
- Explore the selection of these dimensions, including their limitations
- Read chapter one of Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist
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Clare Taylor
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Race Chan
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Vicki O'Day
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
My background is in personal finance and organizational development. I'm a Regenerative Futures Designer looking through the living systems lens of life. I'm developing interdisciplinary learning labs for leaders of the future. Labs are topical learning pods of 12ish people with diverse views. We are learning to see systemically to transform entrenched systems. We create the conditions for constructive innovation. We are learning and acting in partnership with social, ecological, economic, and worldviews to heal and thrive . I partner with collaborators working intentionally on seeing the whole by using a systems approach for designing healthy communities and environmental outcomes for people and our planet. The doughnut is a great transformative tool!
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Marion Ullrich
Nürnberg, Bayern, Deutschland
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Pooja Lal
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Shannon Coles
Otley, West Yorkshire
I am a volunteer with Otley 2030, a group set up to work with our community to build a climate friendly and socially just town
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Irene Ciccarino
Portugal
I have a Ph.D. in management, and a post-graduation in public policies for social equality. I also have the PMP and Project DPro certifications in project management, the latter focused on social development projects. I managed projects with the Brazilian government like social policies to support people in extreme social vulnerability and substance abuse condition or an entrepreneurship formation in "Minha Casa, Minha Vida" program. The latter was documented in several academic papers and had a spin-off in a youth public financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (BID). I have also worked with several NGOs and experienced the difficulties faced to impact society positively. Due to my professional experience in the citizen sector, I concentrated my research on business and social investments. I believe in building a paradigm of collaborative relationships capable of inspiring inclusive and sustainable socio-economic practices.
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Arildo Dias
Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany
Hi, I am ecologist originally from Brazil, where I have spent most of my career studying how climate affect (and will affect) plant biodiversity and ecosystem functions. I am particularly fascinated with tropical rainforests, as they represent the most species-rich biome in the world, play a vital role in stabilizing the global climate and are essential for the indigenous and native communities who depend on its natural resources for their survival.
