Global Social and Ecological Indicators: A Review of the Doughnut Framework

The Doughnut framework, a conceptual tool for understanding social and ecological trends, has undergone significant revisions since its introduction in 2012. The latest iteration of the framework incorporates advances in global data availability and planetary boundaries science, providing a comprehensive approach to understanding social and ecological indicators. The framework consists of a social foundation, which establishes minimum social standards, and an ecological ceiling, which defines planetary boundaries and downscaled per capita boundaries. The analysis of social and ecological indicators is crucial in promoting human well-being and environmental sustainability, with the goal of eliminating social shortfall and ecological overshoot by mid-century.

Establishing the Social Foundation

The social foundation of the Doughnut framework is established through the selection of social indicators that meet specific criteria, including global relevance, focus on the worst-off, and the use of recent data with international coverage. The indicators are selected based on their ability to measure deprivations as a percentage of the population, with a focus on the worst-off. The analysis includes 22 social indicators, which are monitored in the global indicator framework of the UN SDGs. The selection of social indicators is based on a review of hundreds of indicators in publicly available international datasets, with input from experts and colleagues.

Establishing the Ecological Ceiling

The ecological ceiling of the Doughnut framework is defined by the nine critical Earth-system processes specified in the planetary boundaries framework. The planetary boundaries framework has undergone significant updates since its introduction in 2009, with the latest iteration incorporating advances in Earth-systems science. The analysis includes 13 ecological indicators, which are selected based on their ability to track Earth-system processes in the same units, with global coverage and time-series monitoring. The ecological indicators are normalized using a formula that scales each indicator-boundary pair, with the pre-industrial Holocene baseline assigned a value of zero.

Calculating Social Shortfall and Ecological Overshoot

The analysis calculates social shortfall and ecological overshoot for each indicator, with social indicators presented relative to their extent below the social foundation and ecological indicators presented relative to their extent beyond the ecological ceiling. The calculation of social shortfall and ecological overshoot is based on the use of recent data, with international coverage and time-series monitoring. The results are presented in percentage terms, with social shortfall ranging from 0% (no shortfall) to 100% (complete shortfall) and ecological overshoot ranging from -100% (pre-industrial baseline) to values greater than zero.

Disaggregating the Global Doughnut

The global Doughnut is disaggregated into three country clusters based on average levels of annual gross national income (GNI) per capita over the 2000-2022 period. The country clusters are defined as the poorest 40% of countries, the middle 40% of countries, and the richest 20% of countries. The analysis calculates the proportion of the population falling below minimum social standards within each country cluster, with results expressed as proportions of total shortfall and total overshoot in 2017.

Key Highlights

• The Doughnut framework provides a holistic approach to understanding social and ecological trends.
• The analysis includes 22 social indicators and 13 ecological indicators.
• The selection of social indicators is based on specific criteria, including global relevance and focus on the worst-off.
• The ecological indicators are normalized using a formula that scales each indicator-boundary pair.
• The calculation of social shortfall and ecological overshoot is based on the use of recent data, with international coverage and time-series monitoring.
• The global Doughnut is disaggregated into three country clusters based on average levels of annual GNI per capita.

Relevant Quotes

• "The Doughnut framework provides a powerful tool for understanding the social and ecological challenges facing humanity."
• "The selection of social indicators is crucial in establishing a social foundation that promotes human well-being."
• "The ecological ceiling provides a critical framework for understanding planetary boundaries and downscaled per capita boundaries."

Data

• 22 social indicators are included in the analysis.
• 13 ecological indicators are included in the analysis.
• The global Doughnut is disaggregated into three country clusters based on average levels of annual GNI per capita.
• The analysis calculates the proportion of the population falling below minimum social standards within each country cluster.

Conclusion

The Doughnut framework provides a comprehensive approach to understanding social and ecological trends, with a focus on establishing a social foundation and an ecological ceiling. The analysis highlights the importance of considering social and ecological indicators in conjunction with one another, with the goal of promoting human well-being and environmental sustainability. The selection of social indicators is based on specific criteria, including global relevance and focus on the worst-off, while the ecological indicators are normalized using a formula that scales each indicator-boundary pair. The calculation of social shortfall and ecological overshoot is based on the use of recent data, with international coverage and time-series monitoring. The global Doughnut is disaggregated into three country clusters based on average levels of annual GNI per capita, providing a critical framework for understanding social and ecological trends at the country level.

Keywords

• Doughnut framework
• Social indicators
• Ecological indicators
• Planetary boundaries
• Downscaled per capita boundaries
• Social shortfall
• Ecological overshoot
• Global data availability
• Earth-systems science

Hashtags

• DoughnutFramework

• SocialIndicators

• EcologicalIndicators

• PlanetaryBoundaries

• DownscaledPerCapitaBoundaries

• SocialShortfall

• EcologicalOvershoot

• GlobalDataAvailability

• EarthSystemsScience

$$e^{2x}$$
$$f(x) = x^2$$
$$a^m \cdot a^n = a^{m+n}$$
In mathematical terms, the general formula for the normalized ecological overshoot in a given year is given by $${\rm{overshoot}}{t} = \frac{(x{t} – x{{\rm{base}}})}{(x^{*} – x{{\rm{base}}})} – 1$$, in which $$x{t}$$ is the ecological indicator in year $$t$$, $$x^{*}$$ is the planetary boundary and $$x{{\rm{base}}}$$ is the pre-industrial baseline. However, three indicator–boundary pairs are exceptions to this general formula (aragonite saturation state, forest area and stratospheric ozone), as they are each framed inversely, for which a decrease in the indicator value implies worsening ecological conditions (rather than an increase). The normalization formula to express overshoot in comparable terms for these inverted indicator–boundary pairs is given by $${{\rm{overshoot}}}{t} = \left(1 – \frac{{x}{t}}{{x}{{\rm{base}}}}\right)/\left(1 – \frac{x^{*}}{{x}{{\rm{base}}}}\right) – 1$$.

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