Doughnut Economics: Social Foundations and Floors

Question 1

The twelve dimensions of the Social foundation

Answer 1

• Health
• Food
• Water
• Energy
• Gender equality
• Social equity
• Political voice
• Peace and justice
• Income and work
• Education
• Networks
• Housing

Question 2

The social foundation and the ecological ceiling are

Answer 2

Interconnected and must be considered together. Achieving sustainable development requires meeting social needs within the limits of the planet’s resources.

Question 3

Businesses can support the social foundation by:

Answer 3

• Providing decent work and fair wages: Ensuring fair compensation and safe working conditions.
• Investing in community development: Supporting local communities through initiatives that enhance well-being.
• Promoting social equity and inclusion: Fostering diverse and inclusive workplaces and supply chains.

Question 4

Moving from a degenerative and divisive economy to one that is regenerative and distributive requires businesses to:

Answer 4

• Work within the cycles of the living world: Reducing resource consumption and regenerating natural systems.
• Share value equitably: Ensuring that the benefits of economic activity are distributed fairly among stakeholders.

Question 5

What is community resilience

Answer 5

A community’s ability to respond and adapt to acute shocks and long-term stresses, is a crucial indicator of a strong social foundation

Question 6

Businesses play a vital role in supporting the social foundation by

Answer 6

Ensuring fair labour practices, investing in communities, promoting equity and inclusion, and transitioning to a more regenerative and distributive economic model.

Question 7

“In a global economy, sustained competitive advantage
arises from tackling

Answer 7

Social, political and environmental
issues as part of a corporate strategy — not just
pursuing business as usual.

Understanding these nonmarket
forces is more difficult than understanding
the market environment.

Question 8

The 9 planetary boundaries:

Answer 8

1. Climate change: Limiting the increase in global average temperature to avoid dangerous climate change.
2. Biosphere integrity: Protecting biodiversity and maintaining the health of ecosystems.
3. Ocean acidification: Limiting the decrease in ocean pH to protect marine ecosystems.
4. Ozone depletion: Protecting the stratospheric ozone layer from depletion by harmful chemicals.
5. Atmospheric aerosol loading: Managing the release of aerosols into the atmosphere to limit air pollution.
6. Freshwater use: Managing freshwater resources to ensure sustainable use.
7. Biogeochemical flows: Regulating the flows of nitrogen and phosphorus in the environment to avoid disrupting ecosystems.
8. Land-system change: Limiting the conversion of natural ecosystems to agricultural land to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services.
9. Release of novel entities: Managing the release of synthetic chemicals, heavy metals, and other pollutants into the environment.

Question 9

The two core planetary boundaries are:

Answer 9

Climate change: Caused by rising concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which lead to higher global temperatures

Biosphere integrity: the functional integrity of ecosystems. The decline in plant and animal populations and the degradation of ecosystems are causes for concern, as they may disrupt the many essential services that the biosphere provide

Question 10

Global Food Production

Answer 10

Contributes 25% of climate-changing greenhouse gas
emissions

● Biggest cause of biodiversity loss
○ primary cause of land-use change
○ major source of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution
○ huge freshwater demand
○ Big carbon emissions → ocean acidification

Question 11

Fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas dominating impact on climate change

Answer 11

They account for over 75
per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90
per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions.

Question 12

Compassionate destruction

Answer 12

Means that “we guide all the
complex and expansive elements of the fossil fuel sector
through a just and orderly transition to a carbon-free
economy.”

Question 13

Value
extraction

Answer 13

Much of the so-called “value creation” that we hear about
and that modern colonial and capitalist society is built on
and embraces extracts value from one group or place at the
benefit of others

Question 14

Community resilience

Answer 14

describes a community’s ability to
respond and adapt to acute shocks and long-term
stresses.

○ Example: Limited access to education or water
directly affects businesses employees and workforce

○ Example: Affordable housing / living wages affect the potential workforce (e.g., who lives in the
community… or who leaves the community)

Question 15

The purpose of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is

Answer 15

To establish a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of indigenous peoples

Question 16

Key Elements
of Community
Resilience

Answer 16

● The foundation of current community wellness
● The resources available for future wellbeing
● Preparedness to respond to and withstand acute shocks
● Transformative capacity and adaptability in response to stresses or changing circumstances

Question 17

Why
Community
Resilience
Matters

Answer 17

● Risk management
● Community relations
● Collaboration
● Systems influence and social acceptance