Seminar: Can AI-based tools help cities evaluate their policy impacts?

Welcome to the latest Doughnut Research-for-Action seminar, entitled Can AI-based tools help cities evaluate their policy impacts?, co-hosted with Alan Fortuny Sicart and convened by Doughnut Economics Action Lab.

📅 Monday, November 09, 12:00-1:00 PM (UK time)

Session Summary

Cities are increasingly using the Doughnut framework to assess their social and ecological performance. But how do we move from descriptive snapshots to actionable policy decisions? This seminar will demonstrate how ‘research agents’ could assist municipalities and other organizations to rapidly evaluate policies, budgets, projects, and political programmes against Doughnut indicators. Real-world use cases—including carbon budgets in Catalonia and impact-reporting validation for climate funds—will be used to illustrate the underlying methodology. There will be space to discuss the strengths and limitations of using such research agents as tools to help operationalise safe and just transitions at scale.

Speaker Bio

Alan Fortuny Sicart is Principal AI Scientist at leonardo.impact, an impact-driven software company making impact reporting and verification trustworthy, affordable, and accessible. With a master’s degree in political ecology and over 15 years of experience building decision engines, he works at the intersection of AI, sustainability, and evidence-based decision-making. His focus is on developing tools that help organizations translate complex impact data into actionable insights and support the transition toward a socially just and ecologically safe future.

How to Register

Please use this Zoom link to register for the seminar (also pasted at the top of this page). Upon registration (via zoom) you will receive an email confirmation. Please use the link in the email to add the event to your calendar.

This online seminar series is co-hosted by Andrew Fanning, DEAL's Research & Data Analysis Lead, together with members of the network and invited guests. The aim is to connect scholar-activists worldwide in open and informal spaces around specific topics/initiatives related to Doughnut Economics research and action. Feel free to bring a snack. 🍩

Thank you for your interest in connecting with scholar-activist peers to explore research for action with Doughnut Economics -- we look forward to learning with you!

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