Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1330252
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 JANUARY 2021 13 COMMERCIAL Shaping a sustainable future Focusing on sustainable wellbeing at the Malta Sustainability Forum that returns later this month, Curaçao-based social entrepreneur JOERI OLTHETEN explains how the Doughnut Economic Model could shape the future for both people and the planet ACCORDING to the proverb, 'we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children' – a sentiment shared by social entrepreneur Joeri Oltheten. HAVING followed his roots back to Curaçao from the Neth- erlands, Oltheten knew that he could make a sizeable impact on the economic sustainability of the island nation. Indeed, he has forged a career around his talent for inventing creative solutions to complex challenges, after studying Business Economics at the University of Amsterdam and launching his own company in 2008. TODAY, economic sustaina- bility remains at the heart of Oltheten's work and passions. Managing Director at project management and consultancy firm Cinqo, he is also the own- er of Wawuya, a company that makes products using naturally growing plants from Curaçao. Meanwhile, Oltheten is the director of literary foundation Wintertuin, which aims to connect people through story- telling and literature. "Seeing the real impact my work has on people is so re- warding. Everything I do is to try to connect people with each other, to create a better world and enhance sustainable well- being," he explains. "I have al- ways believed that the way we address economics is limited and doesn't account for eco- logical or human factors. So, when I discovered the Dough- nut Economic Model, I was intrigued to see how it could transform Curaçao in a posi- tive way." The Doughnut Economic Model, in the shape of a dough- nut as the name suggests, offers a visual framework for effective economic sustainability. The central 'ring' of the doughnut shape depicts the social foun- dation, or the proportion of the population that lacks access to life's essentials such as housing, food, water, healthcare, educa- tion or social equity. The outer circumference then refers to the ecological ceiling – or plan- etary boundaries - upon which life depends that, if overshot, would overpressure the plan- et's ecological systems leading to critical biodiversity loss, air pollution or climate change, for example. "The goal within the Dough- nut Model is to thrive by strik- ing a balance between the two extremes, creating 'a safe and just space for humanity' so that people can live a good life with- in the boundaries of the plan- et," Oltheten explains. "This concept contrasts the growth or linear models we are used to, which are all about seeking more and more on both a busi- ness and a national level." When the COVID-19 crisis began in March 2020, Olth- eten seized the opportuni- ty to kick-start a bottom-up initiative to implement the Doughnut Economic Model as a tool for transformative ac- tion in Curaçao. "The Curaçao Doughnut Economy Taskforce is a think-and-do-tank that currently has 33 members with a wide range of expertise, with the goal of creating a radically new Curaçao that is inclusive, regenerative and distributive," he continues. And his experi- ence of creating the first island Doughnut Economy is some- thing that Oltheten looks for- ward to sharing with another island nation – Malta – at the upcoming Malta Sustainability Forum. "I will be presenting a key- note speech on the Curaçao Doughnut Economy as part of the Urbanism module at the Forum, discussing how other cities have applied the Model and what kind of development we should aspire to for Malta to thrive socially, environmen- tally and economically," he ex- plains. "Indeed, there are many similarities between Malta and Curaçao – we are both similar- ly-sized, diverse island nations and autonomous countries, so it will be interesting to see at the Forum if we face similar challenges. It is certainly very urgent for both nations to look at different economic models to be prepared for the future, to thrive and become more re- silient, for our respective peo- ples and nations." And, for Oltheten, the success of events like the MSF is felt in the way people are inspired to change the world for future generations. "Our world is cur- rently one where everything is based on growth, whereas we are living on a planet with finite resources. And still peo- ple are being left behind. Now is the time to create an inclu- sive planet where everyone can thrive – not just people but the entire living world. That's the importance of sustainability – we're not just here for our- selves, we are here for our chil- dren and our grandchildren. We still have the possibility to make things better, if we re- programme our own minds and change our perspectives. It is both a huge responsibility for us and a real opportunity to change things for the better." The Malta Sustainability Fo- rum 2021 will run from 25 Jan- uary until 29 January. To regis- ter and to check out the latest updates, please visit maltasus- tainabilityforum.com.