Ipoh Doughnut City: Pioneering Malaysia's First Doughnut Economics Action Plan
Overview
Funder: Yayasan Hasanah (Hasanah Special Grant 2023)
Role: Lead Knowledge Partner
Partners: Institut Darul Ridzuan (IDR), Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh (MBI), Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL)
Duration: 30 months (2023 to 2025)
Status: Completed
Description
The Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH) is proud to have led one of Malaysia's most groundbreaking urban sustainability initiatives. Over 30 months, under the Hasanah Special Grant 2023, SCPH served as the lead knowledge partner in translating the global Doughnut Economics framework into real, city-level action in Ipoh, Perak.
Working closely with Institut Darul Ridzuan (IDR) and the Ipoh City Council (Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh, MBI), we supported Ipoh in becoming Malaysia's first city to adopt and implement a Doughnut Economics Action Plan. Grounded in the Perak Sejahtera Plan 2030, our work helped the city find its "sweet spot" 鈥 meeting the needs of its people while staying within planetary boundaries.
From organising community programmes and mentoring sessions to publishing practical knowledge tools and representing Ipoh on the global stage, SCPH played a central role at every stage of this journey. This project reflects our commitment to turning big ideas into practical, locally rooted action 鈥 and to positioning Malaysia as a leader in the global planetary health and healthy cities movement.
Impact
Building Shared Understanding
Delivered 10 mentoring sessions and 10 community programmes covering topics including waste management, ecotourism, regenerative tourism, sustainable financing, and community-based disaster risk management
Average knowledge gain of 82.6% across all mentoring sessions, with 8 out of 10 sessions recording gains exceeding 80%
Average knowledge gain of 83.4% across all community programmes, reaching city council staff, local leaders, NGOs, heritage organisations, and school children
On SCPH's recommendation, IDEC now conducts monthly knowledge-sharing sessions for MBI staff, reaching approximately 900 staff members, and maintains a regular presence at Ipoh Low Carbon Day for public engagement
Everyone at the Table
1,076 stakeholders engaged in total, including 231 city council staff, 80 Perak state department representatives, 45 industry players, 20 civil society organisations, and 700 members of the public
Engagement went beyond traditional formats, using neighbourhood walkabouts, informal coffee chats, and pop-up booths to reach a broader and more diverse community
Setting a National Benchmark
Ipoh became Malaysia's first city, and the first in ASEAN, to formally adopt a Doughnut Economics Action Plan
The Action Plan was formally endorsed by MBI at its full board meeting in July 2025
MBI won the 2024 UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award, following SCPH's nomination
The project received the 2025 Tourism Organisation Promotion Sustainable Tourism Award
Creating Tools Others Can Use
Produced 5 knowledge documents including the Ipoh Doughnut: City Portrait in Action (the official Action Plan) and the Ipoh Doughnut Recipe Book, a practical guide for city councils and policymakers looking to replicate the model
Contributed to academic publications, a World Economic Forum feature article, and a journal article at UKM SENIBINA 2025
26 news articles published covering the initiative from 2022 to 2025
Sharing Ipoh's Story Globally
Ipoh was the only Asian representative at DEAL's global gatherings in Bad Nauheim, Germany (2024) and Tomelilla, Sweden (2025)
SCPH's Head of Policy, Strategy and Advocacy spoke at the opening session of Global Doughnut Days 2025, presenting Ipoh's journey through a policy lens
Findings shared at forums including the Malaysian Local Conference of Youth, Greenpeace Malaysia's EPR Workshop, and the CSO-SDG Beyond GDP Forum
Links
- Ipoh Doughnut Economics Action Plan Titled 鈥淚poh Doughnut Economics 鈥 A City Portrait In Action 2025鈥2030鈥
- Ipoh Doughnut Economics Action Plan
- A Taste for Tomorrow: A Recipe for Doughnut Economics
鈥 ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Forum (ASUF) 2025: Video Highlights