Jonathan Rowson of the RSA said ‘the essence of the climate change challenge is the wrong kind of energy (fossil fuels) in the wrong kind of economy (fixated with GDP) pursuing the wrong kind of objective (consumption without end)

In the light of this challenge, and in an increasing number and range of contexts, people are identifying the vital linkage between sustainability and wellbeing and shedding new light on how thinking of these two issues in conjunction might offer a key to providing an alternative vision for what a sustainable and flourishing society might look like both now and in the future. The Happy Museum vision is of the contribution museums might make to a sustainable future by fostering wellbeing that doesn’t cost the Earth.

Our paper Happy and Green – a gathering momentum brings together a a range of approaches in different fields from the local to the global which all take a complementary frame for action and demonstrate a gathering momentum of thinking in this field.   Approaches listed include:

UN General Assembly World Happiness Report
The UN Sustainable Development Goals
The ONS Wellbeing Measures
The Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act of 2015
The Carnegie Roundtable on Wellbeing in Northern Ireland
One Planet Living framework developed by BioRegional
The Oxfam Doughnut developed by Economist Kate Raworth
Forum for the Future’s Horizons
Friends of the Earth Statement on Wellbeing.
Nick Marks – founder of the Centre for Wellbeing at the New Economics Foundation
The Transition Town Network
Happy City
The ‘Nature and Wellbeing Act – a green paper from the Wildlife trusts and the RSBP
KPMG’s A new vision of Value – 2014
The 2015 Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change
The SLAM (Sough London and Maudesley) 6 Ways to Wellbeing
The NEF Social Settlement

‘Our own happiness is short-lived if we achieve wellbeing for our generation at the environmental expense of future generations.’ Happy Museum Project