Le Donut et la transition écologique : un outil qui tient ses promesses ? Webinaire CCD, 15.10.2025

The webinar provides a valuable and critical examination of the Donut model as a tool for strong sustainability. The presenters, who are both researchers and practitioners, bring a unique perspective that combines academic rigor with practical experience. The content is well-structured, following the outline of their published article, and the historical analysis of the Donut’s origins is particularly insightful, highlighting its co-evolution with the Sustainable Development Goals and its alignment with strong sustainability principles.

The strength of the presentation lies in its balanced assessment: it acknowledges the Donut’s conceptual appeal while also discussing its limitations, such as the political nature of the social foundation and the challenges of practical application. The six principles for implementation are practical and derived from real-world experience, which adds credibility. The presenters are transparent about their dual role as authors and CCD members, and they emphasize their commitment to a research-action approach.

However, the webinar is not without weaknesses. The presentation is aimed at a non-academic audience, so the methodological details are omitted, which may leave some viewers wanting more depth. The discussion of the literature review is brief, and the specific case studies are only mentioned in passing. Additionally, the webinar does not address potential criticisms of the Donut model in depth, such as the difficulty of quantifying social thresholds or the risk of greenwashing.

The sources cited are primarily the presenters’ own article and the work of Kate Raworth, which is appropriate given the topic. The webinar does not include external expert opinions or contrasting viewpoints, which could have strengthened the critical analysis. The audience questions are not included in the transcript, so the interaction part is not assessed.

Overall, the webinar is a solid introduction to the Donut model’s application and its challenges, suitable for practitioners and interested citizens. It is based on credible research and offers practical guidance, but it could benefit from more detailed examples and a more critical examination of the model’s limitations.

The title accurately reflects the content: the webinar critically examines whether the Donut model is a strong sustainability tool, based on the presenters' research and practical experience.

8/10

The webinar is presented by researchers from the Centre for Sustainability at the University of Lausanne, who are also authors of a peer-reviewed article published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The content is based on a literature review and practical case studies, with clear methodological transparency. The presentation is aimed at non-academic actors, but the underlying research is rigorous. The main limitation is the lack of detailed methodological discussion in the webinar, but the article is referenced for further details.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 00:00Introduction by Johann Recordon, presenting the CCD and the webinar's purpose.
• 03:00Camille Gilloots provides an overview of the CCD's history with the Donut, including the Grand Genève portrait and the University of Lausanne's strategy.
• 06:00Johann Recordon introduces the article and its structure, emphasizing the three main chapters: historical analysis, literature review, and practical lessons.
• 09:00Brief recap of the Donut concept: the ecological ceiling (planetary boundaries) and the social foundation.
• 12:00Presentation of the historical analysis: the evolution of the concept of limits, from the Club of Rome to planetary boundaries, and the emergence of the Donut in 2012.
• 18:00Discussion of the Donut's alignment with strong sustainability and its view of the economy as a means, not an end.
• 24:00Kate Raworth's 2017 book and the rise of the Donut Economics Action Lab (DEAL), with Amsterdam as a pioneer.
• 30:00The proliferation of Donut applications since 2019, with about 80 cities and territories using the model by 2023.

• Article in Journal of Cleaner Production (doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145440) — The presenters' own article, which is the basis of the webinar, presenting the analysis of the Donut's strengths and limitations.
• Donut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) — Mentioned as a network for sharing practices and producing methodological guides.

• Kate Raworth's Doughnut Economics — The foundational work on the Donut model, which the webinar builds upon.
• Planetary boundaries research — The scientific basis for the ecological ceiling in the Donut.