It’s a question most business leaders rarely get asked in a commercial context. But it’s the right place to start. Because the economy we’re building next isn’t just an environmental story — it’s a human one. 

Imagine an economy where the food you eat is nutritious, delicious, affordable and doesn’t quietly poison someone else’s drinking water. Where the products you buy are designed to last, to be repaired, and eventually to re-enter the supply chain rather than a landfill. Where your energy bills are insignificant because the energy itself is free at the source. Where the community you live is healthy, connected, and resilient. Where native ecosystems are blooming. And, where businesses are profiting from making the world a better place. 

This isn’t idealism. It’s design. And the time has well and truly come to evolve from the old economy to the new.  

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that high-end washing machines leased rather than sold could save customers roughly a third per wash — a direct, tangible reduction in the cost of living – while manufacturers would earn roughly a third more in profits. The Circularity Gap Report 2023 finds that a global circular economy would allow us to fulfil people’s needs with only 70% of the materials we currently extract and use — moving human activity back within the safe limits of the planet. And a landmark study by Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra found that circular economy interventions in agriculture alone could free up 350 million hectares of land by 2050 — an area larger than all of India — leaving more room for nature to recover. 

Add artificial intelligence to this picture and things get even more exciting. Recent peer-reviewed research has found that AI can increase a business’s resource efficiency by up to 25% and reduce production scrap by as much as 30%. The World Economic Forum notes that by 2030, AI will no longer be just a tool for improvement — it will be the foundation for how decisions are made and how processes adapt in real time. They go on to say: “AI and the circular economy are not separate paths. They are mutually reinforcing strategies for creating the intelligent, resilient and sustainable business of the future.”  

We take a pause here to acknowledge the dark side of AI and stress the critical importance of businesses understanding who is behind the AI tools they use and to advocate for smart regulation that ensures AI solves our problems, it doesn’t worsen them. Read our blog on why we quit Chat GPT (Open AI) for more info on this crucial topic.  

So why aren’t more businesses moving from the old to the new? 

The reality is the global economy is under enormous pressure right now, the cost of doing business has risen sharply, and there is mass uncertainty. Energy markets have been destabilised. Supply chains are fractured and freight cost are skyrocketing. Climate change is accelerating. And the regulatory environment is shifting fast — the EU’s new Packaging and Packing Waste Regulation, Deforestation Legislation, and rules to empower consumers for the green transition are already reshaping expectations for companies and their supply chains selling to that market. 

Further to this, climate, modern slavery, and ESG reporting is becoming mandatory in dozens of countries. Customer expectations are rising. And investor scrutiny is deepening. The businesses that aren’t paying attention are going to find themselves increasingly exposed. 

But, as I used to try an explain to my teachers’, paying attention isn’t always easy. Many businesses are stuck not because they don’t care, but because the scale of the transition feels overwhelming and they are stuck in the daily grind of doing what they’ve always done. The new economy is real, and it is emerging, but it doesn’t come with a map. The concepts are unfamiliar. The language can feel technical. And when you’re trying to run a business day to day, it’s hard to know where to start. 

This is exactly the gap we built Year One to fill. 

Year One is a twelve-month programme designed to give businesses the foundations they need to navigate this transition with confidence. Not as a compliance exercise. Not as a box-ticking exercise. As a genuine, commercially grounded shift in how a business understands its place in a changing world. 

We start where it matters most — with your stakeholders. The suppliers, customers, staff, and community partners who already have skin in this game. We help you have the conversations that most businesses struggle with: what are we doing, what more can we do, and how might we support each other? Because the businesses that will thrive in the new economy understand that this isn’t a solo sport. As the old proverb goes — “if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. Or as we like to say, “go well together”.  

From there, we help you identify what actually matters. A materiality assessment cuts through the noise and focuses your energy on the risks and opportunities that are genuinely significant to your business and your stakeholders. This is where AI is starting to play a real supporting role too — helping businesses analyse stakeholder feedback, model scenarios, and identify patterns in their data that would have taken months to surface manually. 

Once you know what matters, we build a strategy around it. Not a glossy document that lives in a drawer. A practical, action-oriented plan with goals and SMART targets that are calibrated to your actual capacity, capability, and budget. Designed collaboratively, from across the organisation — because a strategy built at the top and pushed down doesn’t work. Trust us, we’ve seen it tried far too many times.  

Then comes the part most programmes skip: moving from words on a page to real-world impact. Implementation is where Year One earns its keep. We stay with you through the hardest phase — the shift from planning to doing — and we provide your whole team with the training, tools, and context they need to execute with confidence. Greenhouse gas accounting. Sustainable procurement. Understanding incoming regulation. Communicating your progress without greenwashing. These aren’t peripheral skills anymore — they’re becoming core business literacy. 

Throughout the year, we make sure your team is keeping pace with the new concepts, new technologies, new business models, and changing legislation — both globally and here in Aotearoa. The circular economy and AI aren’t separate tracks. They’re converging. And businesses that build fluency in both now will be better placed to adapt, to attract talent, to access capital, and to serve customers whose expectations are only going to keep rising. 

At the end of Year One, you’ll have a strategy, a capable team, and a much clearer sense of where you’re headed. Many of our clients go on to retain Go Well through our part-time sustainability manager service — embedding ongoing support as they move deeper into implementation. 

The new economy is coming whether we’re ready for it or not. The question is whether your business is building the foundations now, or waiting until the pressure forces your hand. 

If you’d like to find out whether Year One is right for your business, we’d love to have a conversation. 

We’ve supported many dozens of organisations through this journey. Here’s what some of them had to say: 

“Go Well have proved to be invaluable partners as we work on various projects to lessen our impact and future proof our business. The team has helped us decide where to focus our energy and having their expertise on hand has provided us with confidence when communicating our sustainability journey. I can also recommend their Beyond the Basics course.” – Nikki Soons, Head of Brand & Marketing, BurgerFuel Group

“We began working with Go Well Consulting as we were lacking direction and focus for where to go on our sustainability journey. Sustainability has always been important to Deane, and we had already been working on quite a few initiatives, but we knew we needed to take things further and establish realistic and timely goals for us to work towards. Go Well worked with us over six months and helped to educate and inspire the team, all while developing us a robust, but realistic roadmap for the next three years. Their support and guidance helped us to identify what was most material to the business, while ensuring we are working towards regenerating the planet and empowering our people. We are now utilising their expertise going forward to help us meet some of the our most challenging goals, and keep us accountable.” – Hannah Sharpe, Divisional Manager Marketing & Customer Experience, Deane Apparel

“In our business, we have a burning ambition to make good choices for people and the planet, but we needed help navigating the daunting task. Nick and Go Well have given us guidance and mentoring to find our way through. The best part is it is not a one model fits all. Go Well worked closely with us to layout a strategy that’s best for our business, and provide us with ongoing support and advice to deliver on it. Go Well’s services has been invaluable.” – Maggie Hewitt, Founder & Designer, Maggie Marilyn

——– 

AI Disclaimer: AI (Claude) was used to help with the research and drafting of this blog which has been altered and edited by Go Well Consulting.

Written by Nick Morrison, Founding Director at Go Well Consulting.