Upcoming Events
(Webinar) Transforming climate anxiety: How to stay engaged without burning out with Leslie Davenport
Transforming Climate Anxiety: How to stay engaged without burning out
With special guest, internationally-recognised speaker, writer, climate psychology educator, therapist and consultant, Leslie Davenport.
Co-hosted by Freda Wells from Goodlife Collective and Gareth Hughes Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa
16 October 2026
12:00 - 1:15pm NZT | 4pm PT
Online - Zoom
About
How can we respond to the climate crisis without becoming overwhelmed? How do we navigate the emotional toll while building the resilience and capacity to keep taking meaningful action?
Join us and internationally-recognised speaker, climate psychology educator, therapist and consultant, Leslie Davenport, to explore why tending to our “inner landscapes” – our thoughts, feelings and nervous system – is inseparable from caring for our outer landscapes.
We'll look at the emerging field of climate psychology and how it addresses the eco-anxiety, grief, and overwhelm that show up in daily life in a rapidly warming world. How do we work with them, stay engaged with hard realities without burning out, and find a sense of agency when the problem feels so far outside any one person's control?
This will be an engaging conversation with opportunities for discussion - for anyone whose heart is open to all that's worth saving in our beautiful world, and the clarity, courage, and collective action it will take to save it.
Co-hosted by Goodlife Collective and Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa.
Meet the speakers
Leslie Davenport is an internationally recognised speaker, climate psychology educator, consultant, and therapist who bridges climate, education, policy, media, and social justice. She is the columnist for the award-winning environmental news outlet, Grist, where she writes the advice column “Ask A Climate Therapist.”
Author of six books, including two American Psychological Association (APA)-published guides for youth, her new book Transforming Climate Anxiety: A Workbook for Courage, Clarity, and Collective Action is the culmination of more than two decades of shaping the field of climate psychology.
Leslie leads the Climate Psychology Certification program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and advises organisations such as Post Carbon Institute.
She brings audiences science, strategy, and heart to navigate eco-emotions for a more just world.
Discover more about Leslie’s work, including her new book, on her website: https://lesliedavenport.com/
About the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa (WEAll). WEAll Aotearoa is a non-partisan and independent ‘think and do’ tank working to redesign Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy around the wellbeing of people and te taiao. WEAll use an evidence-informed approach and focus upstream to develop practical, long-term solutions for the public good. WEAll is a registered charity and funded through philanthropic grants and donations.
About Goodlife Collective. Goodlife Collective curates experiential events to amplify inspiration and wisdom towards a healthier world. Based in Aotearoa, they bring together thinkers, doers, and curious humans to explore what it takes to rehumanise our systems and create a world we love. Expect good conversations, connections, and horizon-expanding ideas that refuel your hope and agency. GC operates under charitable status through the Gift Collective.
Wellbeing Economy Book Club with Sally Hett: Dirty Work by Nicky Hager
At this next book club we will be discussing Dirty Work by Nicky Hager.
As always, don't feel like you have to have read the book to come along.
For information on the book, listen to Cross Party Lines, The Front Page, or read this article by The Spinoff.
On the call we will summarise the key ideas so you can still participate in the discussions.
We look forward to seeing you there!
RSVP using the form below.
Supporters’ Call | November
On this Supporters’ Call we will test some narratives from our next Blueprint publication, a wellbeing economy sprint idea, and ask what you’d want to learn from a national organising tour.
RSVP using the form below.
(Webinar) Ecocivilization: Making a world that works for all with author Jeremy Lent
(Webinar) Ecocivilization: Making a world that works for all with author Jeremy Lent
Co-hosted by Freda Wells from Goodlife Collective and Gareth Hughes Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa
18 November 2026
1:00 - 2:15pm NZT | 5pm PT
Online - Zoom
Described as “one of the greatest thinkers of our age” by Guardian journalist George Monbiot, Jeremy Lent is an author, speaker and organiser whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilisation’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future.
You are invited to join this dialogue and Q&A with Jeremy about the imminent choice we face as a species: continue with a system built on extraction and endless economic growth, or reimagine civilization grounded in proven design principles of ecosystems and in humankind’s evolved inclination toward justice, mutuality and dignity.
We will engage with ideas from Lent’s new book Ecocivilization, what we can learn from nature’s patterns and principles, why our current systems are failing us, and what a genuinely life-affirming future could look like.
About the speakers
Jeremy Lent is an author, speaker, and organizer whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future. His new book, Ecocivilization: Making a World that Works for All, lays out the potential for a fundamentally different world system based on life-affirming principles.
His earlier two award-winning books are The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning, which examines the way humans have made meaning from the cosmos from hunter-gatherer times to the present, and The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe which offers a foundation for an integrative worldview that could lead humanity to a sustainable, flourishing future.
He is co-founder and executive director of the Ecocivilization Coalition, and president of its parent, the Institute for Ecological Civilization. He is also founder of the Deep Transformation Network, and a board member of the Global Compassion Coalition.
Convenor & Facilitator: Freda Wells, Founder - Goodlife Collective
Facilitator: Gareth Hughes, Director - Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa
Goodlife Collective curates experiential events to amplify inspiration and wisdom towards a healthier world. Based in Aotearoa, they bring together thinkers, doers, and curious humans to explore what it takes to rehumanise our systems and create a world we love. Expect good conversations, connections, and horizon-expanding ideas that refuel your hope and agency. GC operates under charitable status through the Gift Collective.
WEAll Aotearoa is a non-partisan and independent ‘think and do’ tank working to redesign Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy around the wellbeing of people and te taiao. WEAll use an evidence-informed approach and focus upstream to develop practical, long-term solutions for the public good. WEAll is a registered charity and funded through philanthropic grants and donations.
Auckland We All Chat
Join Georgie and Elliot for a post-election chat about economic systems change.
As per usual, we’ll put on some snacks.
If you haven’t come along to one before: haere mai! This is a casual place to connect with other like-minded people, passionate about building a better future for all.
RSVP using the form below.
Wellington We All Chat
Join Gareth, Sally, and Josh for a post-election chat about economic systems change.
As per usual, we’ll put on some snacks.
If you haven’t come along to one before: haere mai! This is a casual place to connect with other like-minded people, passionate about building a better future for all.
RSVP using the form below.
Nelson We All Chat
Join Gareth and Nate for a post-election chat about economic systems change.
As per usual, we’ll put on some snacks.
If you haven’t come along to one before: haere mai! This is a casual place to connect with other like-minded people, passionate about building a better future for all.
RSVP using the form below.
Wellbeing Economy 101:
Curious to find out more about what a Wellbeing Economy is and how to get there?
A Wellbeing Economy is an economy designed to serve people and the planet, not the other way around. Rather than treating economic growth as an end in and of itself and pursuing it at all costs, a Wellbeing Economy puts our human and planetary needs at the centre of its activities, ensuring that these needs are all equally met, by default.
Join the WEAll Aotearoa team for a free one-hour webinar that will explore:
Introduction to Wellbeing Economy: the history, global movement and why it’s needed.
Key ideas and strategies - covering a broad range from Doughnut Economics, circular and regenerative approaches to Community Wealth Building.The Wellbeing Economy in Aotearoa - practical examples from Māori, business and policy change.
How to get involved and advance an economy in service to life.
RSVP via the form below and you’ll receive a calendar invite.
Christchurch We All Chat
Join Paul for a post-election chat about economic systems change.
As per usual, we’ll put on some snacks.
If you haven’t come along to one before: haere mai! This is a casual place to connect with other like-minded people, passionate about building a better future for all.
RSVP using the form below.
2026 ANZSEE Biennial Conference
XV Biennial Conference - Regenerative Futures, Imagining Alternatives, Transforming Systems
In partnership with Wellbeing Economy Alliance New Zealand
Location: Massey University, Wallace Street, Mt Cook, Wellington 6021, New Zealand - Aotearoa
The ANZSEE 2026 conference will bring together people from government, education and research, practitioners, consultancies, and NGO and community sectors, helping solve problems at local-regional-global scales drawing from ecological economics and its trans-disciplinary perspectives.
With a natural focus on Oceania as a region but also on local issues and those that permeate the globe, the conference will help synthesise global “post-growth” and “planetary boundary” discourses with a specific focus on the unique social-ecological and political vulnerabilities including those of the Pacific. The gathering will center on the integration of Indigenous stewardship and decolonised economic frameworks to address climate adaptation, while prioritising island and maritime resilience over traditional growth-centric metrics.
The Conference will focus on key research areas linked to Ecological Economics analysis, perspectives, and policies, including:
Beyond Growth and Wellbeing
Post-growth economies, alternative wellbeing measures, macroeconomic reformIndigenous and First Nations Economies
Decolonisation, treaty rights, traditional knowledge, land and water stewardshipIsland and Ocean Resilience
Blue economies, sea level rise, Pacific sovereignty, island biodiversityIntergenerational Justice and Stewardship
Just transitions, youth, equity, rights of future generationsClimate, Cities, and the Built Environment
Energy, transport, housing, urban ecology, cost of livingEcological Limits, Governance, and Policy
Planetary boundaries, ecosystem services, institutions, environmental lawTransformative Knowledge — Education, Methods, and Technology
Pedagogy, research methods, STI, arts, and transdisciplinarityOther Issues in Ecological Economics
Open theme for emerging, cross-cutting, and novel contributions
Keynote Speakers
Professor Bob Costanza, Professor of Ecological Economics, Institute for Global Prosperity, University College London; Founding President, International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE); Founding Editor-In-Chief Ecological Economics, Societal Addiction and Recovery: Creating a New Science of Collective Behavioural Traps and Transformative Recovery
Professor Anitra Nelson, President-Elect International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE), Honorary Principal Fellow, University of Melbourne, Welcome to XV ANZSEE Biennial Conference – Regenerative Futures and Across Oceans from ISEE’s President-Elect
Professor Erik Gomez-Baggethun, Professor in Environmental Governance at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Senior Associate at the University of Oxford, The Plurality of Values and the Valuation of Nature
Professor Maria Bargh, Professor of Politics and M?ori Studies at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, Hidden and Diverse Economies (TBC)
Professor Joshua Farley, L4E Ecological Economics Lead, Gund Institute for the Environment, University of Vermont, Taking Complexity Theory Seriously and Non-market Food Systems
Dr Marjan Van Den Belt, Ecological Economist, Global Council Member Wellbeing Economy Alliance, Ministerial Appointee of Lincoln University Council, World Oceans Assessment UNCLOS Expert Pool – Aotearoanomics: A Place-Based Economy So That Nature and People Thrive
Dr Mike Joy, The Morgan Foundation Senior Research Fellow in Freshwater Ecology and Environmental Science, School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand Freshwater Management
Wellbeing Economy Book Club with Sally Hett: Common Good Economy: A New Compass by Mariana Mazzucato
At this book club we will be discussing The Common Good Economy: A New Compass by Mariana Mazzucato.
As always, don't feel like you have to have read the book to come along.
For information on the book, listen to the Late Night Live podcast, The Fourcast podcast, PoliticsJoe podcast, or read this review by the Guardian.
On the call we will summarise the key ideas so you can still participate in the discussions.
See you then!
Wellbeing Economy 101
Curious to find out more about what a Wellbeing Economy is and how to get there? Join the WEAll Aotearoa for a free one-hour webinar.
Supporters’ Call
On this Supporters' Call, we'll share an update on the Tomorrow Together campaign before diving into a practical session to build our skills to grow support for a tax system that gathers the revenue we need to fund better futures with the crew at Better Taxes for a Better Future.
Book Club: The Beginning Comes After the End by Rebecca Solnit
At this book club we will be discussing Less is more: How Degrowth Will Save the World by Jason Hickel.
Christchurch We All Chat
Join Sally and Paul for a cozy mid-winter chat about economic systems change.
We All Chat Ōtautahi
5.15pm Wed 1 July
Smash Palace
As per usual, we’ll put on some snacks.
If you haven’t come along to one before: haere mai! This is a casual place to connect with other like-minded people, passionate about building a better future for all.
RSVP below:
Wellington We All Chat
Join Gareth and Sally for a cozy mid-winter chat about economic systems change.
As per usual, we’ll put on some snacks.
If you haven’t come along to one before: haere mai! This is a casual place to connect with other like-minded people, passionate about building a better future for all.
RSVP below:
Auckland We All Chat
Join Gareth and Georgie for a cozy mid-winter chat about economic systems change.
As per usual, we’ll put on some snacks.
If you haven’t come along to one before: haere mai! This is a casual place to connect with other like-minded people, passionate about building a better future for all.
RSVP below:
Wellbeing Economy Book Club
At this book club we will be discussing Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism by Yanis Varoufakis.
As always, don't feel you have to read the book to come along. Listen to the audiobook, check out this Rest is Politics podcast, Institute of Art and Ideas interview, this Upstream podcast, or read this Guardian review.
On the call we will summarise the key ideas so you can still participate in the discussions.
Wellbeing Economy 101
Curious to find out more about what a Wellbeing Economy is and how to get there? Join the WEAll Aotearoa for a free one-hour webinar.
Supporters' Call
Join our supporters’ call to help us test our Policy Guide workshop activities. And share your ideas for how we build on our Policy Guide to create a more comprehensive vision?
Less is More Book Club
At this book club we will be discussing Less is more: How Degrowth Will Save the World by Jason Hickel.
We All Chat Ōtepoti Dunedin
Join fellow WEAll Aotearoa supporters for a drink and chat all things wellbeing economy.
Something Between Us: the 'walls' between us and how to take them down
While so much in the world separates us, what connects us? Who's reaching across the divide, and seeking to understand? And what happens when more of us do? We are honoured to bring together two deep thinkers/practitioners, to learn about their work, research and experience in bridging divides in communities in America, and delve into how these ideas might apply to our context here in Aotearoa New Zealand.
University of Otago Wellbeing Economy
What do the climate crisis, inequality and biodiversity loss have in common? They’re all symptoms of an unsustainable economic system that prioritises profit & growth over people & planet. Despair no more, we can and are doing something about it.