*Sufficiency

Table of contents

What is Sufficiency?

Sufficiency is a set of policies, measures, and daily practices that avoid the demand for energy, materials, water, land [and all other resources] while delivering human well-being for all within planetary boundaries.

Definition of Yamina Saheb in COP26 "Sufficiency should be First" and included in IPCC 2022 climate mitigation report and IPCC 2023 synthesis report

Where does the definition of Sufficiency come from?

The definition of sufficiency is based on concepts coming from different scientific disciplines:

  • equity driven distributive justice theory based on philosophy 
  • practice theory based on social sciences
  • democracy as a theory and framework based on political science 
  • need framework based on economics
  • wellbeing framework based on psychology
  • planetary boundaries framework based on earth sciences.

What does this definition really mean?

Video explaining:

  • delivering human well-being
  • for all
  • within planetary boundaries
  • set of policies, measures, and daily practices
  • avoid the demand for energy, materials, water, land and all ressources

Sufficiency in policies

April 2022: Integration of Sufficiency in the IPCC mitigation report

Under the leadership of Dr. Yamina Saheb,  the IPCC mitigation report highlighted the findings of Sufficiency, “a set of policy measures and daily practices that avoid the demand for energy, materials, water and land while delivering wellbeing for all within the planetary boundaries.” According to the IPCC, the inclusion of Sufficiency policies in climate policy packages could by 2050 cut emissions by 70% compared to those of 2019.  

May 2023: First World Sufficiency Summit

The first edition of the Sufficiency Summit, was co-organised by Dr. Yamina Saheb and Prof. David Ness and co-hosted by Sciences Po (Paris) and the University of South Australia. The Summit gathered more than 600 participants from all over the world. 

June 2023: Sufficiency in the Versailles Statement

Under the leadership of the French Energy Transition Minister, Ms Agnes Pannier-Runacher, 32 energy ministers endorsed, in the Versailles Statement, for the first-time sufficiency as one of the pillars to decarbonise the world economy. 

July 2023: Sufficiency in the European scenario

The European Commission foresight report, entitled “Towards a fair and sustainable Europe 2050: Social and economic choices in sustainability transition”, included four scenarios for the future of Europe, out of which the Global eco world which considers the economic shift towards sufficiency as a first step towards strategic autonomy. 

Going further

To learn more about sufficiency and become an ambassador, follow our free training:

\\\Academy

The Sufficiency Academy is an open-source training tool that enables anyone to learn about sufficiency for free.