The Degrowth Doughnut model is based on the original Doughnut visualisation of ecological boundaries and social foundations. (You can read more about these models in our previous article here.) The Budapest Degrowth Doughnut was formulated in a participatory way during an expert-workshop series in spring, 2024. The process was combined with intense bilateral consultations with relevant experts and facilitated by researchers from Corvinus University of Budapest with a contribution from GreenFormation. The outcome of the process (see below, Figure 1.) showcases the city’s current status in relation to the needed socially just and ecologically sound transition. The model contains cultural, socio-economic, and biophysical indicators deemed most relevant to Budapest by the participants.
Figure 1: Degrowth Doughnut of Budapest (Fischer, et al. 2024)
Two types of indicators define the safe green and just operating space for Budapest. On the outer rim are those with an upper limit value, such as CO2 emissions (CE) in the biophysical segment, Social Ignorance (SI) in the cultural segment and Housing Affordability (HA) in the socio-economic segment. On the inner edge, there are indicators with a lower limit value, such as Green Area Availability (GA) in the biophysical segment, Voluntary Work (VW) in the cultural segment, and the existence of the District Climate Strategy (CS) among the socio-economic indicators. Red zones show that the concerned indicator is being overshot or fails to reach the values defining safe and just operating space for Budapest citizens.
In order to reveal cause-effect relationships between the indicators defined in the Doughnut, workshop participants created a system map using complex causal diagram technique. These causal relationships shown in Figure 2 are marked with arrows pointing from the cause to the effect. Positive causal relationships occur when cause and effect move in the same direction (“+”), meaning that if the value of one variable increases, so does the value of another variable, and if the value of the cause variable decreases, the value of the causal variable also decreases. In the case of negative relationships, the value of the cause and effect variable moves in the opposite direction (“-”). It can happen that impact arising between cause and effect is realised with a time delay (“II”). So-called feedback loops can also appear on the system map (on Figure 2 there is only one) arising when the loop in the system feeds back into itself.
Figure 2: System map based on indicators of the Budapest Degrowth Doughnut (Fischer, et al. 2024)
Based on Budapest Degrowth Doughnut and the system map derived from it, concrete recommendations were developed and transferred to the municipality to take action towards socially just and ecologically sound transformation. In addition to showcasing the overarching impacts of climate transition efforts, the Doughnut was fed into the Climate City Contract of Budapest as a first step of the process. The ambition of the document, which aims to reach climate neutrality by 2030, already addresses some of the contradictions between environmental and social policies, which can be dissolved through the Doughnut application. For example, extensive renovations of residential buildings aiming for carbon neutrality will lead to rent rise, causing gentrification and increased suburbanisation. Concrete measures to address this and similar dilemmas are also defined in the Climate City Contract. For more info, please contact us or download from here the scientific report on the doughnut development process (HUN).
