UN-SDG 10: Reduced Inequality

In 2000, the Brazilian municipality of Sobral had a problem that seemed unsolvable. Nestled in Ceará, one of Brazil’s poorest states, only 49% of second-graders could read at grade level.1 By 2004, that number had reached 92%.1 Today, Ceará has the lowest learning poverty rate in Brazil, with 10 of the country’s top 20 performing municipalities.1 Sobral’s transformation wasn’t magic. It was method: structured teaching materials, intensive teacher support, and results-based financing that tied 18% of tax transfers to educational outcomes.1 The approach spread across the state, proving that even the most disadvantaged communities can achieve what wealthy nations often struggle to deliver. ...

Nestlé paid just $200 per year to extract water in Michigan while generating $340 million in revenue12. That’s not a typo—a multinational corporation paid less than what many Americans spend on a single month of bottled water to drain millions of gallons from public resources. This extreme example reveals a deeper crisis. The bottled water industry generates over $340 billion annually while 2.1 billion people lack safely managed drinking water access34567. Corporations charge consumers 2,000 to 3,300 times more than tap water costs, extracting extraordinary profits from what should be a universally accessible public good89. ...

Social Capital and Mental Wellbeing in a Sustainable World Social capital represents a critical element within the social foundation of the Doughnut Economics framework that plays a vital role in shaping mental health outcomes. Networks, relationships, trust, and social cohesion that exist within communities have emerged as significant determinants of mental health across various populations and contexts12. The concept encompasses both cognitive elements (perceptions of trust and reciprocity) and structural components (social participation and networks), with each contributing uniquely to mental wellbeing34. ...

Climate’s Deepening Imprint on Global Income and Work The global economy stands at a critical juncture as climate change increasingly disrupts established economic systems and transforms working conditions worldwide. Income and Work represent a key dimension of the social foundation within the Doughnut Economics framework, as climate driven changes reshape labor markets, productivity, and economic output globally. The Doughnut Economics model, conceptualizing a “safe and just space” between social foundations and planetary boundaries, provides an ideal framework for understanding these complex interconnections. As climate change intensifies, it fundamentally challenges the ability to maintain adequate income and work opportunities for all people while respecting ecological limits1. Climate change is not merely an environmental crisis but also an economic one that has already begun reshaping global labor markets and will continue to do so with increasing severity in coming decades2. ...

Housing’s Foundational Role in the Doughnut’s Sweet Spot The housing crisis facing communities worldwide reflects a fundamental breakdown in how societies organize and distribute this essential human need. Within the Doughnut Economics framework, housing represents a critical component of the social foundation—the minimum standards required for all people to live in dignity and security.1 This analysis examines the housing crisis through the lens of “safe and just space for humanity,” exploring how current housing systems transgress both social boundaries (by failing to meet basic human needs) and planetary boundaries (through unsustainable development practices). This approach emphasizes housing as a critical social foundation, a concept intrinsically linked to the Doughnut’s broader ambition of achieving collective prosperity within ecological limits.12 Indeed, housing security directly impacts health, education, economic opportunity, and community resilience—all essential elements of the social foundation that supports human flourishing. ...