Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) is part of the emerging global movement of new economic thinking and doing, aiming to help create 21st century economies that are regenerative and distributive by design so they can meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet—what DEAL calls Doughnut Economics. DEAL works with changemakers worldwide in communities, education, cities and places, business, government, and more who are turning the ideas of Doughnut Economics into transformative action and aiming to bring about systemic change. The organization’s name is intentional: DEAL is focused on action and always learning through experiment. Founded as a Community Interest Company in July 2019, DEAL launched its Community Platform online in September 2020. DEAL’s approach to economic transformation works across three levels: Reframing economic narratives by promoting paradigm change through compelling thought leadership on economic transformation drawing on core concepts of Doughnut Economics; Influencing strategic policy by engaging in high-leverage opportunities to influence policy making within governments and business sector to unlock structural changes required for systemic transformation; and Innovating with the DEAL Community by working with pioneering changemakers to co-create tools and methodologies that turn Doughnut Economics ideas into action, make new economic possibilities visible, and inspire others to act.
Why it matters: DEAL transforms Doughnut Economics from a conceptual framework into actionable tools and methodologies by working with changemakers worldwide who are implementing regenerative and distributive economies that meet human needs within planetary boundaries. By working across three levels—reframing narratives, influencing policy, and innovating with community—DEAL demonstrates that economic transformation requires simultaneously shifting how people think about economics, changing structural policies, and creating visible examples of new possibilities that inspire action. The organization’s focus on learning through experiment and co-creating with pioneering changemakers shows that bringing about systemic change demands not just compelling theory but collaborative development of practical approaches that communities, cities, businesses, and governments can actually implement.
