Profit and purpose can go hand in hand — and a growing movement is proving it. At the Towards A Purposeful Economy forum, held in Tauranga on 20 August, attendees came from the community, businesses, and local government. They explored how shifting mindsets and systems can create climate‑positive change. The discussions also focused on building social equity and thriving communities.

Hosted by Sustainability Options, with support from Tauranga City Council and the Sustainable Business Network, the hui brought together change-makers to reimagine the role of business in tackling today’s social and environmental challenges.

A central message emerged: an economy can only exist within the health of the communities as well as natural resources and planetary boundaries that sustain it.

Event Highlights

Inspiring keynote presentations and workshops were run by:

• Gary Shaw – on the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) and how they can transform outdated, destructive systems
• Gareth Hughes & Sally Hett – Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa: what a wellbeing economy looks like, and how it’s taking shape globally and nationally
• Kat McDonald – Future-Fit Business Benchmark: an open-source tool guiding businesses toward better decisions

A panel discussion between:

• James Hughes – Technical Director, Climate & Resilience, Tonkin + Taylor
• Manu Caddie – Biotechnology entrepreneur, Indigenous rights advocate, Adjunct Research Fellow, Te Kotahi Research Institute
• Nik Gregg – Director, Sustainability Options
• Facilitated by Jacinta FitzGerald – CE, Mindful Fashion

Get Involved

The forum was just the beginning. You can join the movement:

• Inner Development Goals Tauranga Hub Breakfast Hui – contact Jo Wills for more information at jo.wills@so.org.nz or 021 277 7042.
• Sustainability Options Podcast – Series Two: this upcoming series will explore the purposeful economy in depth. Available on Spotify, Apple, iHeart Radio, and Amazon Music.
• Explore the tools and resources:

- Future-Fit Business Benchmark: https://benchmark.futurefitbusiness.org/

- Inner Development Goals: https://innerdevelopmentgoals.org/

- Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa: https://www.weall.org.nz/

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