How can we satisfy the basic needs of all while respecting planetary limits? In her Donut Theory (2017), Kate Raworth proposes that the 21st century economy is a distributive and regenerative economy whose primary objective is to prosper with dignity collectively rather than grow indefinitely at the expense of life and the finite resources of the planet .
A new compass
In February 2022, the City of Grenoble chose to rely on the Donut theory to strengthen its transition trajectories and think about the future in a transversal way. At the crossroads of the nine planetary limits defined by an international scientific community and sixteen social objectives, the Donut visually represents the double ecological and social imperative which is incumbent upon us to enable each human being to meet their fundamental needs while respecting the living and of the planet. Thus delimited by an ecological ceiling beyond which we exert critical pressure on the Earth system and a social floor below which we are exposed to critical human deprivations, is the so-called ecologically safe and socially just space for ‘humanity.
Creating a Donut Portrait
The first step of the Grenoble 2040 approach consisted of the production of a Territorial Donut Portrait to visualize the situation of Grenoble with regard to target objectives and in relation to the national average: this diagnosis provides an initial inventory, a second version, which better reflects the scope of competence of the community with regard to territorial issues, is currently being produced. Based on the analysis of the City’s public policies, this tool must enable political and strategic management as close as possible to the reality on the ground.
A second decision-making tool was developed to analyze the contribution of the community’s various investment projects to political and regulatory objectives in environmental and social matters; This is another variation of the Donut theory to equip the City.
The Donut framework also offers a framework for citizen consultation allowing residents to understand current environmental and social issues to better project themselves into the future and imagine the world in which they wish to live tomorrow. By questioning our lifestyles, this tool allows us to understand the complexity of the world in which we live in a fun and educational way.
More information on the city of Grenoble website
