Deep dive

There is large-scale public support for a wellbeing economy: 

• Data from the World Values Survey across 92 countries shows that a majority of the global population favours environmental protection over economic growth (58%), especially in high-income countries in Western Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, as well as in Southeast Asia [1].

• Globally, more than half of respondents (52%) in the Edelman Trust Barometer believe that capitalism in its current form is doing more harm than good in the world [2].  

• A 2023 study published in Economic Affairs found that in 28 of 34 countries, a majority of respondents hold anti-capitalist positions.

• Over two in three people across G20 countries agree that the way the economy works should prioritise the health and wellbeing of people and nature rather than focusing solely on profit and increasing wealth [3] [4]. 

• Across G20 countries, 83% of people want to do more to protect nature [8] and less than half of people in 66 countries are satisfied with their country's environmental protection efforts [9].

• When thinking about climate change and protecting nature, 71% of people across 18 G20 countries believe major action is needed immediately – within the next decade – to reduce carbon emissions [10].

• In the Edelman Trust Barometer, 53% of global respondents say that their countries are more divided today than in the past [5].

• The 2023 Ipsos Inequalities Index shows that half (49%) of global respondents found that attempts to promote equality in their country should go further, with only 19% of global respondents indicating that attempts had gone too far [6].

• A majority of adults in G20 countries (68%) support a policy proposal where wealthy people pay a higher tax on their wealth, as a means of funding major changes to our economy and lifestyles. Higher carbon taxes, higher progressive taxation on income and higher tax rates for large businesses also receive support from a majority of people across the G20 countries [7].

What do local surveys and polls say about the public support for wellbeing economy principles where you are?

International momentum for a wellbeing economy is building: 

• In 2018, the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership (WEGo) was launched at the OECD’s World Forum in Incheon, South Korea. WEGo is an international partnership between a group of senior government officials committed to reorienting policymaking away from narrow economic growth towards the overall wellbeing of people and the planet. It currently involves senior government officials from Scotland, Iceland, New Zealand, Wales and Finland, with Canada actively participating and officials from other governments joining meetings as observers.

• In 2019, under their Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Finland started an EU-wide debate on the ‘economy of wellbeing’. 

• In 2020, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) established a dedicated Centre on Well-being, Inclusion, Sustainability and Equal Opportunity (WISE). In 2023, the WISE Centre launched its Knowledge Exchange Platform on Well-being Metrics and Policy Practice to help governments transition to a wellbeing economy approach. 

• In 2020, the WHO Director General appointed an independent Council on the Economics of Health for All and the 2021 WHO Geneva Charter for Well-being highlights the need for a just transition to a low-carbon economy and to an equitable economy that serves human development within ecological boundaries. 

• In December 2021, the European Council agreed on the EU’s 8th Environment Action Plan, which features commitments to bring member states’ consumption of resources within planetary boundaries and to introduce an indicator set to measure progress in wellbeing that goes ‘beyond GDP’ (Regulation [EU] 2021/1119).

• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) included extended discussions of post-growth ideas in its 2022 Sixth Assessment Report.

• In 2023, the WHO Regional Office for Europe has delivered a Regional High-level Forum on Health in the Well-being Economy which showed how health systems can contribute to wellbeing economies and how investment can be shifted towards wellbeing.

• At the 2024 UN Summit of the Future, the Pact for the Future was adopted, which established an independent high-level expert group to develop recommendations for a limited number of country-owned and universally applicable indicators of sustainable development that complement and go beyond GDP, followed by a UN-led intergovernmental process to ensure high-level political engagement on these issues.

• International organisations like Oxfam, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Greenpeace  are making clear connections to the need for economic systems change in order to achieve their goals of improving social and ecological wellbeing.

• Over 50 local governments worldwide are putting the concepts of Doughnut Economics into practice, with the aim of meeting the needs of all people within the means of the living planet. 

Throughout the course modules you will find further examples of how pioneering governments are taking steps towards wellbeing economy ways of working.

The ideas of a wellbeing economy build on ancient philosophies and Indigenous thought leadership and practices from around the world: 

• In Andean Indigenous cultures, the principles of ‘sumaq kawsay’ (in Quechua) or ‘buen vivir’ (in Spanish) emphasise harmony with nature and collective wellbeing over material wealth, guiding policies towards holistic development and cultural preservation. 

• The African philosophy of 'ubuntu' emphasises the importance of interconnectedness, collaboration, and mutual support. Ubuntu-informed economics advocates for economic systems that prioritise human relationships and social cohesion to foster inclusive prosperity and resilience.

• Many philosophies, cultural and religious practices in Asia also emphasise holistic approaches to life, focusing on social connectedness and balance and harmony between people and nature. For example, Confucianism highlights the importance of morality, social harmony and ethical governance to promote social responsibility. Taoism emphasises balance between humans and nature and promotes compassion, humility and moderation. Both Buddhism and Hinduism teach about the interdependence between all life forms. 

• The 'Seventh Generation Principle' builds on an ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) philosophy and practice that considers those who are not yet born but who will inherit the world up to seven generations into the future. This long-term governance principle is central to many Indigenous cultures.

• 'Whanaungatanga' is a foundational value for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, created through forming, sharing, and maintaining close ties with people and communities. The Māori concept of 'kaitiakitanga' refers to guardianship and the responsible management of the environment and being a ‘good ancestor’. The book Te Ahunga atu ki ngā Ōhanga Oranga Māori |Towards Māori Economies of Wellbeing describes how Māori values, knowledge and practices can drive economic transformation from the inside out.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a deep connection with their land or Country, which is central to their spiritual identity. ‘Caring for Country’ involves practices that ensure the health and sustainability of these environments, reflecting a holistic approach to life.

• Sámi, the Indigenous people of northern Scandinavia, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula in Russia, practice ‘Siida’ - a traditional form of community organisation that includes collective land management and decision-making practices that consider the long-term sustainability of natural resources.