Kate Raworth: rethinking economics for the 21st century

What if 20th-century economic models no longer fit today’s world? British economist Kate Raworth thinks it’s time for a rethink–and she’s sparking the shift with doughnut economics, a bold framework already shaping new policies in cities worldwide.

Building on the work of thinkers like Herman Daly, who questioned endless growth in the 1980s, Kate Raworth’s doughnut-shaped model outlines a space where human needs are met without breaking the planet’s limits. With Earth scientists warning that we’re nearing critical environmental tipping points–from climate change to biodiversity loss–the need for a new economic compass has never been clearer.

From a model that offers a healthier vision of prosperity to the outdated economic systems we’ve inherited, Kate Raworth invites us to rethink economics through the lenses of equity, ecology, and indigenous wisdom. A shift from growth for its own sake to economies that truly thrive.

In March 2025, The UNESCO Courier team sat down with Kate Raworth at UNESCO in Paris, on the sidelines of the University of the Earth event, to explore what this model could mean for the future of progress. 

Curious what a doughnut has to do with economics? Hit play and find out.

An episode by Katerina Markelova, produced by Emmanuel Rudowski, with the voice of François Wibaux.

Photo: © UNESCO/Marie ETCHEGOYEN

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