SEED: Doughnut Economics Approach for Sustainable Decarbonisation and Citizen Engagement

Status: Ongoing projects

Decarbonization requires a systemic and integrated approach that recognizes trade-offs with other policy goals, and that takes citizens on board through participative and democratic principles. This pilot aims to apply Doughnut Economics (DE) as an integrated, innovative, inclusive and participative approach to achieve rapid decarbonization. The Doughnut allows to put decarbonization in a broader context that takes into account other planetary boundaries (the “ecological ceiling” or outer ring of the Doughnut) and social aspects (the social foundation or the inner ring of the Doughnut), and it stresses a participative approach to achieve these goals.

The activities will primarily focus on addressing emissions in the domain of transport and mobility.

Tools stemming from DE will be developed to:

⚈ Achieve greater participation of citizens, policymakers, and municipal employees in co-creating a City Portrait through an interactive process using a quantitative and qualitative assessment of the ambitions and current state of the city along the dimensions of the Doughnut, focusing on emission reductions. The outcomes will be integrated into policy documents such as the Riga Sustainable Development Strategy and Programme 2030 and the SECAP 2030.

⚈ Put the goal of decarbonisation and emission reduction in the broader systemic framework of a just and sustainable transition.

⚈ Engage citizens in co-developing and piloting a set of innovative solutions to reduce air pollution and emissions in the city’s most polluted area, where the low-emission zone will be implemented by 2027.

It will also build capacity in Rīga’s team and municipality departments, enabling them to draw up the City Portrait, moderate co-creation sessions with citizens, and translate outcomes into policies.

Duration, funding, partners

Funding:  Horizon Europe (HORIZON-MISS-2022-CIT-SGA – Specific Grant Agreements to the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) for the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Platform (NZC-SGA-HE-202309)

Budget: Riga Municipality budget € 366 355.00, 100% EU contribution  

Duration: 01.05.2024. – 30.04.2026.

Partners: Lead partner – Rīga City Council; Green Liberty