Purpose

On Monday night, I had the opportunity to attend the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland (WEAll) screening of "Purpose," a compelling documentary directed by Martin Oetting that explores a fundamental question: What if our economy was measured by the wellbeing of people and our planet?

The Central Question: What Is the Economy For?

"Purpose" follows two key figures in the wellbeing economy movement: Katherine Trebeck , who initiated the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) partnership, and Lorenzo Fioramonti , who helped establish the alliance before winning a parliamentary seat in Italy to drive change from within. Their journeys highlight both the possibility and challenges of shifting our economic paradigm.

The documentary's central premise is simple yet profound: our current economic system serves GDP growth, treating it as the primary metric of success despite mounting evidence that this narrow focus is at risk of undermining society and our environment. As Lorenzo articulates in the film, "The economy is manmade. We can make it, unmake it, make it again," reminding us that unlike people or the planet, economic systems are entirely of our own design and can be reimagined.

This message resonates strongly today as we face multiple interconnected crises. The film reminds us that GDP was originally developed as a wartime measure that later became symbolically equated with a "better life." Yet since the 1970s, the relationship between GDP growth and actual wellbeing has broken down. Every study cited in the documentary reaches the same conclusion: pursuing growth blindly will cause harm to people and planet.

From Idea to Movement: The Birth of WEGo

One of the most fascinating aspects of the film is its chronicling of how the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership came into being. The journey began at a 2017 meeting at the University of Glasgow, where the seeds were planted for what would become an international alliance focused on building economies that prioritise human and ecological wellbeing over financial growth metrics.

The initial partnership sought to bring together Scotland, Slovenia, and Costa Rica; yet challenges and changing politics meant instead Iceland and New Zealand joining - fundamentally changing the project's scope and impact. The documentary captures both the excitement and vulnerability of this progress, including a pivotal moment when Nicola Sturgeon , then First Minister of Scotland, delivered her TED Talk on wellbeing economies in 2019, bringing the WEGo mission to a global audience.

Having personally witnessed some of this journey since meeting Katherine at the launch of her book "Economics of Arrival" (co-authored with Jeremy Williams), I've been struck by how rapidly these ideas have moved from academic theory to government policy conversations. Katherine's approach has always been rooted in the understanding that wellbeing is fundamentally tied to healthy environments and social connections, not just economic metrics.

Scotland's Wellbeing Economy Journey

Scotland has been at the forefront of this movement, developing frameworks and policies that place wellbeing at the centre of economic thinking. The National Performance Framework represents Scotland's wellbeing approach, tracking progress through indicators that go far beyond GDP.

In my role delivering economic development, I've seen first hand how place based development approaches can better address local contexts and needs. Rather than imposing one-size-fits-all economic solutions, place-based approaches recognise the unique assets, challenges, and opportunities of different communities across Scotland. This work strongly connects with wellbeing economy principles by focusing on outcomes that matter to people in their own places.

The Scottish Government's commitment to Community Wealth Building (keeping wealth circulating locally through fair employment, procurement, and use of assets) represents another practical application of wellbeing economy thinking. My experience supporting Community Wealth Building initiatives has demonstrated how alternative economic models can create more resilient local economies that serve people.

Panel Insights: Moving from Theory to Practice

Following the documentary screening, a thought-provoking panel discussion featured Katherine Trebeck, Nicola McEwen ( 英国格拉斯哥大学 ) , Gary Gillespie (Chief Economist at the Scottish Government and Chair of the WEGo Network), and Lukas Bunse (from Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland (WEAll) . The conversation illuminated both progress made since the conclusion of the documentary period and challenges ahead.

When asked about her journey toward this solution, Katherine emphasised that wellbeing economics has deep roots and requires fundamental rethinking of our assumptions. She challenged the assumption of seeing the economy as equal to the environment, highlighting the need to change the rules of the game and the policies that underpin our economic system. I was encouraged by paraphrasing of a concept I regularly employ; how do we ensure the economy works for society, rather than society working for the economy.

Gary Gillespie spoke about what this approach has meant for Scotland, noting that the process of change began around 2014-15 with conversations about what kind of Scotland people wanted to live in. He acknowledged that governments change but emphasised the value of shared agendas and regular engagement between WEGo countries through annual meetings and virtual policy labs.

Nicola McEwan addressed the film's portrayal of the challenges in driving policy change, pointing to the vulnerability of progress. She raised a crucial question: "How do we take this out of the political arena and build consensus?" Her comments highlighted a key tension - the risk of tying a movement to individual politicians or parties versus creating lasting, cross-partisan support. There was consideration of the work underway in Wales and the creation of a Future Generations Commission.

The panellists also addressed how to ensure wellbeing economy discussions move beyond narrow economic focus into an interdisciplinary approach, and how to balance local needs with global economic realities. A particularly pointed observation related to the UK focus on growth: "Growth to what end?" noting that we "add too many prefixes to growth" rather than questioning the concept itself. While arguably the move towards Mission Led delivery (as positioned by Mariana Mazzucato ) is a sensible way to employ interdisciplinary delivery, there were questions as to whether the missions were framed in a way that sought actual progress.

Moving Forward: Personal Reflections

This documentary and subsequent discussion reinforced my own commitment to more inclusive economic development approaches. The wellbeing economy isn't an abstract concept; it's about creating tangible improvements in people's lives through better economic design.

As someone who has worked across regional economic development in Scotland and the application of community wealth building, I've seen how traditional economic metrics often fail to capture the true health of communities. The documentary's emphasis on asking "what is the purpose of the economy?" provides a clarifying lens through which to evaluate economic success.

The wellbeing economy approach offers compelling alternatives. By prioritising social connections, environmental sustainability, and long-term prosperity over short-term financial gains, we can build economic systems that genuinely serve people rather than requiring people to serve the economy.

For those interested in learning more, the WEAll Scotland network provides valuable resources and connections for anyone wanting to engage with these ideas. The documentary "Purpose" itself serves as an excellent introduction to wellbeing economics and is now available for viewing through community screenings and events.

As I continue my own work in economic development, I'm increasingly convinced that place-based approaches aligned with wellbeing economy principles offer the most promising path forward - developing economic models that work for communities rather than imposing models communities must adapt to. In the words often quoted in the film, we need an economy that allows "our planet to survive and for people to thrive in the 21st century".

P.S. If you are in a position to host this documentary, please reach out to Martin Oetting or reach out through the channels available.