The countries learn from each other about Wellbeing

— Insights from Gary Gillespie, Director and Chief Economic Advisor to the Scottish Government

In an interview with Iceland’s leading daily newspaper, Morgunblaðið, and its online platform mbl.is, Gary Gillespie said countries participating in the Wellbeing Economy Forum each have their focus areas and issues to address.

Gary Gillespie, Director and Scotthish Government Chief Economic Adviser.

Gary was a member of the Wellbeing Economy Forum’s Advisory Board 2025. The third annual Forum which was held earlier this month in Reykjavík, Iceland. He says that Wellbeing issues are a broad field. One challenge is to be clearer in the definitions. "We in Scotland have been looking at the fight against poverty, the green economy, climate issues, and other related economic matters, among other things. Wales has focused on the generations of the future. Welfare and health are prominent issues in Iceland, Canada, and Finland".

A Broad Perspective is essential for Wellbeing Issues

Thus, Gary Gillespie, who has been concerned with Wellbeing Economics for the past eight years, says that the priorities only differ depending on the countries involved in this collaboration. Wellbeing issues need to be examined in the context of equality, climate issues, nature, and biodiversity. Therefore, we must also consider the role of economics in all of this."

At the Wellbeing Economy Forum held in the prestigious Conference & Music Hall, Harpa, in Reykjavík, Iceland, on May 8th.-9th, 2025, representatives from many countries came together to discuss the issues, share perspectives and knowledge, and learn from each other. When asked whether changes in the international landscape in recent months, due to decisions by the U.S. government and President Donald Trump's tariff policy, will affect the discussions at the Wellbeing Economy Forum - 2025, Gary responds affirmatively, noting that there are significant ties between the countries, and changes in regulations in international trade affect everyone.

Can Scotland learn from Iceland?

When asked if Scotland can learn anything from Iceland regarding the Wellbeing Economy, Gary states that Scotland can, among other things, learn from Icelanders in their focus on equality. 'At last year's Wellbeing Economy Forum, we also met representatives from various sectors such as tourism, geothermal energy, and carbon capture. In our opinion, Iceland has more efficient social services, but it has to deal with nature, like the earthquakes in Reykjanes in recent years. Scotland and Iceland are interested in green energy, sustainable tourism, and resource management. There is much to learn from Iceland,' Gary concludes.

Original article in Icelandic: https://www.mbl.is/vidskipti/frettir/2025/05/09/londin_laera_hvert_af_odru_um_velsaeld/

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