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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The 'For ReGenerations' Story
This story contains personal anecdotes from one of the project heads, as well as learnings and insights from the event.
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Story
How we apply Doughnut Economics in Berlin
Talk: How to Think like a Doughnut Economist and Transform the City - a Journey of Donut Activism in Berlin
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Story
London Doughnut Economy Coalition - Meeting Three
A summary of the third meeting of the London Doughnut Economy Coalition - Exploring London’s indicators and partners.
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Story
First California DEAL Meetup
Californians get mobilized to co-create a DEAL coalition for California
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London Doughnut Economy Coalition - Meeting Two
A report back on the second meeting of the London Doughnut Economy Coalition - Developing Visions and Organising
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Member
Kar Soper
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Greetings from Toronto.
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Member
Stephanie Willoughby
Roanoke, Virginia, United States of America
Real Estate investor, farmer, student
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Member
Isabell Lippert-Habermehl
Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Deutschland
Freelance Sustainable Action Support and Part of Frankfurt Doughnut Coalition
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Member
Andrew Webster
Hayward, California, United States of America
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Member
David Barns
Leeds, England, United Kingdom
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Member
Satu Helenius
Joensuu, Itä-Suomi, Finland
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Member
Eva Marina Valencia Leñero
Mexico City, Mexico
| Sustainability Transitions Specialist | Co-Founder of Mexico City's Doughnut Economic Coalition + Scaling Coordinator in CIMMYT-CGIAR After finishing my MSc in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management in Lund University with a thesis to downscale the doughnut for Mexico City's water policies, I learned research was not enough to make a change. For this reason, I have co-founded the Tricolor Coalition (Mexico City's Doughnut Economic Coalition) to collaborate with other agents of change to promote sustainability transitions in Mexico City. We are now developing community, informative, and capacity building activities to support Mexico City's agents of change interested in promoting this transition. I am currently also working as a Scaling Coordinator in the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. In my job, I continue to learn about systems thinking approaches, and about what types of food innovations could be scaled (why? and where?) to create more impact. Moreover, I also have experience in international and national public administrations, and I have specialized in the water-food-energy sectors and climate change challenges.
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Member
Marian Turniawan
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
