46th TB Macaulay Lecture - with Kate Raworth

The Macaulay Development Trust is excited to announce that the 46th TB Macaulay lecture will be delivered by renowned economist and creator of the ‘doughnut of social and planetary boundaries’ concept, Kate Raworth, on 1 October 2025 in Edinburgh.

Presented in partnership with The James Hutton Institute, this annual lecture brings academia and the public together to focus on the critical issues facing Scotland’s land and people.

Programme:

• 1700-1800: Pre-lecture exhibition
• 1800-1930: 46th TB Macaulay Lecture
• 1930–2100: Post-lecture reception

Kate is an ecological economist and creator of the Doughnut - a concept that aims to meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet - and co-founder of Doughnut Economics Action Lab. Her internationally best-selling book Doughnut Economics: seven ways to think like a 21st century economist has been translated into over 20 languages and has been widely influential with diverse audiences, from the UN General Assembly and Pope Francis to Extinction Rebellion.

Kate is a Senior Teaching Fellow at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute and Professor of Practice at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. Over the past 30 years, Kate’s career has taken her from working with micro-entrepreneurs in the villages of Zanzibar to co-authoring the Human Development Report for UNDP in New York, followed by a decade as Senior Researcher at Oxfam. She holds a first-class BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and MSc in Economics for Development, both from Oxford University and has honorary doctorates from the University of York, University College Dublin, KU Leuven, and Business School Lausanne.

Kate is best known for her unique “doughnut economics” model, which emphasises the need to balance humanity’s needs with the health of the planet. She is the author of the internationally bestselling book Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist, a Professor of Practice at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, a Senior Teaching Fellow at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute, and a frequent contributor to the Guardian, New Statesman, and various TV and radio programmes.

Speaking about the upcoming lecture, Kate said: “I am honoured to be giving the 2025 TB Macaulay Lecture, and very much look forward to sharing the concepts, tools and practice of Doughnut Economics - and hearing the audience's reflections and suggestions for how such practice can be spread at the speed and scale that these times demand."

Joe Moore, Chair of the Macaulay Development Trust said, “As a country rich in both nature and resources, it’s essential for Scotland to strike a balance between aspiring to provide a high quality of life for all and at the same time protecting the environment on which that aspiration depends. We’re delighted to have an economist with Kate’s international prestige joining us to speak about Doughnut Economics. I hope you will join us to hear her thoughts and ambitions on how people and the living planet can thrive together."

Professor Colin Campbell, CEO at The James Hutton Institute said, "We're very excited to announce Kate as the speaker for the 46th TB Macaulay Lecture. Her understanding and experience of economics, in particular Doughnut Economics, will be thought-provoking for all in attendance. We can't wait for what is sure to be another incredible and informative talk, bringing academia and the public together on the big issues affecting our land and people."

The lecture will take place at Edinburgh International Conference Centre. It begins at 6pm, with a pre-lecture exhibition available to view from 5pm. All ticket holders will also be invited to attend the post-lecture reception at 7.30pm.

Register now