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Looking to the well-being of future generations

  • by JW

“#futuregen is the inspiring story of a small, pioneering nation discovering prosperity through its vast natural beauty, renewable energy resources and resilient communities.”

Lord Bird’s Future Generations Bill seeks to build upon the momentum of the Welsh Act to “embed long-termism, prevention and the interests of future generations at the heart of UK policy making”.

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It feels like a long time ago, but at the Hay Book Festival in June, among all the gems on show, we heard about a project coming out of Wales itself:

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Director of the Wales Institute for Sustainability Jane Davidson hosted a series of #FutureGen discussions around Wales in the world…

Triumphant Close for Hay Festival Digital After 490k Event Streams – Business News Wales

Jane Davidson explains how, as Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing in Wales, she helped create the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015—the first piece of legislation on Earth to place regenerative and sustainable practice at the heart of government. Unparalleled in its scope and vision, the Act connects environmental and social health and looks to solve complex issues such as poverty, education and unemployment. She is joined by the First Minister for Wales, the Minister for International Affairs, and the Future Generations Commissioner.

#futuregen is the inspiring story of a small, pioneering nation discovering prosperity through its vast natural beauty, renewable energy resources and resilient communities. It’s a living, breathing prototype for local and global leaders as proof of what is possible in the fight for a sustainable future.

Hay Festival Digital 2020

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Jane Davidson has brought out a book:

#futuregen: Lessons from a small country — Jane Davidson

#futuregen Book Launch with Jane Davidson and Satish Kumar – YouTube

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Here’s an extract from a review by the Intergenerational Foundation, posted a couple of weeks ago:

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… But the personal touches do not obscure the radical potential of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act. In a world where taking “long-term action” often means nothing more than setting distant targets and letting your successors sort it out, Wales’ example of placing legal obligations on all public bodies to “carry out sustainable development, including a requirement to set and publish ‘well-being objectives’, [and] to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to meet those objectives” stands in stark contrast…

Lord Bird’s Future Generations Bill, currently awaiting its second reading in the House of Lords, builds upon the momentum of the Welsh Act to “embed long-termism, prevention and the interests of future generations at the heart of UK policy making”. This UK-wide Bill has to opportunity to be even more ambitious than the Welsh Act, since it can take advantage of powers that are not devolved to regional government. In particular, it promises to hold not only government departments but large corporations to account for unsustainable practices.

In #futuregen, Jane Davidson tells a delicately personal story but with global ramifications. In a world where control over the future seems to be increasingly slipping from our grasp, it provides a bold vision for a better tomorrow as well as a strategic map for getting there.

Book Review: #futuregen – Intergenerational Foundation

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Here’s more on Lord Bird’s Future Generations Bill:

What is the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill? | Today For Tomorrow

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And from earlier this month, a podcast chat with the instigator of the Welsh Act:

What Could Possibly Go Right?: Episode 16 Jane Davidson – Resilience