Mandi Bissett: Local climate action and Doughnut Economics – a secret recipe for generating hope

Southampton has a long history of grassroots environmental action, from tackling air pollution to the climate crisis. This comes in part from needing to address the huge impact of its port and airport, but is mainly down to the individuals and grassroots organisations who have worked hard to raise the profile of community voices and develop a strong foundation across the city for change.

But what has been lacking is a unifying framework to bring together campaigners and researchers on climate, biodiversity and social justice, whilst opening up new conversations with the council and local businesses on sustainability.

This is why the Southampton Climate Action Network (SoCAN) has been introducing the city to Dr Kate Raworth’s concept of Doughnut Economics – a compelling framework and visual representation of the planetary boundaries we need to stay within and the social foundation that no-one should fall below.

Dr Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economic Model

The Doughnut puts people and nature at the centre of climate action. Such a framing comes to life on Southampton Common, a huge green space in the heart of the city where families and friends meet up, play sports, have picnics and stroll around. Walking across it, I think about all the changemakers and collaborators, inside and outside the city, who have built environmental movements from the ground up.

Families enjoying Southampton Common

It appears to be mostly women on the frontlines of climate and pollution battles – is it because we and the people we care for are more vulnerable to its impacts? Are we naturally better at convening and connecting? Or is it simply another element of the unpaid and under-valued labour that women have to do?

Kate Raworth recognises this: “…mainstream economic theory is obsessed with the productivity of waged labour while skipping right over the unpaid work that makes it all possible.” Here she is talking about the Household, but I would extend this definition to our work in the Commons – community development and environmental campaigning. These are activities which are essential to developing resilience in the face of the climate crisis, but are often dismissed or vilified.

To grow our resilience and sustain ourselves for future work, we can also look for inspiration in past projects and remind ourselves that positive impacts take time to emerge. We can nurture past collaborations whilst creating new connections. We can reflect that climate action comes from building cycle lanes but also from building communities. Additionally, we can discover that patient use of positive frameworks, such as the Doughnut, can be a catalyst for hope, by revitalising local climate action and sustaining those at the heart of this work.

There are inspirational female leaders and quiet campaigners, working on different forms of climate action around the world, and together we are creating a critical mass which can’t be ignored. At the local level, it helps to know that we are part of a growing movement for system change.

It would be amazing to interview all these women on my walk across Southampton’s green spaces: to hear why they felt the need to create change; whether they prefer to challenge or collaborate with the status quo; and how they balance the work of the Commons with that of the Household.

With a nod to both of those domains of work, I’d also love to know: what is their secret recipe for generating and sustaining hope? And what is yours?