Kia ora koutou, 

We hope this finds you well. 

Geez it’s been a year! As I take time to reflect on the past 12-months, I do so with very mixed emotions. Like most, Go Well has been impacted by the ongoing recession and has had to adapt throughout the year. Further to this we’ve had many clients who have had to restructure, or in the shocking case of solarZero, liquidate. It’s easy to forget that behind these words are people. People with dreams and aspirations. People with families and dependents. Seeing people lose their jobs, especially in the manner of those who worked for solarZero is extremely confronting. It takes a toll.  

On top of this, we have watched aghast at the political developments here in Aotearoa, and around the world. Most notably of course in the Divided States of America. 

To have people in the most influential positions here in NZ saying that we need to fast-track the extraction of fossil fuels and mine our seabed, or one of the most influential positions on the planet saying that climate change is a hoax, also really has an impact. 

I think like many others I was stunned into silence for a couple of months after the American election. Having now had time to collect my thoughts I remain extremely uncertain and concerned for the next four years, but evermore determined to do all I can, and all Go Well can, to support the rapid adoption of the emerging new economic system. A way of trading goods and services that is based on the laws of the natural world and that treats all people as human beings, not human resources.  

While we may currently have political leaders who are either blind or corrupted to the design and impacts of our current consumption based economic model (that is so obviously unsustainable and benefits just a few) there remains so much to be excited about.  

We were very grateful to recently be included in the Sustainable Business Networks Next 95. A list of innovators, entrepreneurs, projects and organisations SBN see as having “…the potential for a more equitable future. Radically reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The elimination of waste. The reuse of resources. A natural world reflourishing into abundance.” 

It’s easy to get lost in the bad news and forget how many amazing people are using their time, energy, and skills to create a better economic system, and a better future. Attending the SBN Showcase and Awards evening for the Next 95 was a much-needed injection of positivity, optimism, creativity, innovation, kindness, and determination to use business to make the world a better place.  

While governments undoubtedly have massive impacts on the direction of our economy and the public narrative, businesses, communities, and individuals also have power and influence.  

As we enter the pinnacle of the consumerist calendar I remind you of the power of your purchasing. “Every dollar is a vote on the world you want to live in.” While we absolutely need to make “being sustainable” vastly easier for people, we also need people to be committed to consuming less and supporting those businesses and organisations that are solving problems, not creating them.  

Use the festive period not to consume, but to connect. Spend time with your favourite people. Spend time doing your favourite things (unless that is shopping…). Spend time outdoors and take note of the impact that has on you, and the impact we are all having on it. Read, listen, put away your phone. Focus. Remind yourself what it is like to be bored. Learn something new. Say hello to strangers, talk to your neighbours. Help others. Acknowledge how lucky and privileged you are to be able to have a holiday, and come back next year ready for whatever it throws at us by staying true to playing your part, however big or small, in creating the sustainable future.  

On this note, we want to bring attention to the Right to Repair bill that is currently waiting for its first reading in parliament. It is a Members Bill (that means it was pulled out of a tin, not put forward by the government). In our humble opinion it is one of the biggest legislative opportunities to move towards a circular economy we have seen. See our ‘What You Can Do’ section  for more details on how you can help make this become law.  

Finally, from all of us at Go Well I want to say the most heartfelt thank you to those who have continued to engage with and support our work this year. Not just those we work with but those who attend our courses and events, those who engage with our newsletters, blogs, and posts. It means so much to us all. Paddling your waka against the current is exhausting work and we simply couldn’t do it without others paddling alongside us. Thank you! 

Nick and the Go Well Team. 

To read the rest of our December newsletter, click here.