The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales has called on the Welsh Government to launch a shorter working week trial.

International Women’s Day and what it means for the well-being of future generations of Wales

Wales’ new champion for the future of the nation is using his first day in the job to call for “urgent and transformational change” to improve people’s lives now and in the future.

As a country not only have we led the way by becoming the first Fair Trade nation the Well-being of Future Generations Act make us the first nation to legislate and place the sustainable development principle at the heart of decision-making to improve our economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being. 

A day in the life of a well-being coordinator

Alternative models for improving health and well-being is one of the priority areas for the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.

The Welsh Government has announced its objectives which it says will drive forward delivery of the well-being goals for Wales, as required by the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

Wales urgently needs a Universal Basic Income to help the country deal with the effects of COVID-19, Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe says.

A record number of online delegates joined the recent Cardiff Business School Breakfast Briefing to hear how the Well-being of Future Generations Act provides an opportunity to transform the way procurement is delivered in Wales. By moving towards an outcomes-based approach, we can ensure the £6 billion spent annually delivers the best outcomes across all four elements of well-being and helps to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being for current and future generations.

My role is to act as a guardian for the interests of future generations in Wales. I will challenge and support public bodies to think about the long-term impact of the things they do. My draft strategic plan sets out how I intend to do this.

People working for the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales will be able to receive cash support to escape an abusive relationship, it is announced today.

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed deep structural inequalities in our economy and society including wage poverty, health inequalities, racial disparities, food poverty, job insecurity and imbalances in quality of housing. At the same time climate and ecological breakdown is escalating, and we risk exacerbating all of these challenges if we go back to the way things were.

The Future Generations Commissioner role, was established by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 - a pioneering piece of legislation which is unique to Wales

Spanning different generations we often have interesting discussions about our every day experiences as a woman - especially as we mark 100 years since some women could vote and the ongoing roar of the #MeToo campaign amongst many others campaigns striving for equality for women.

Let’s celebrate International Carrot Day - that's a sentence I never thought I would write!

At this time of year, there is a lot of pressure on us to buy gifts for those that we love, and we want to make it special. But have you ever thought that when you are buying something, that there are two people in the transaction? The person you are buying it for, and the person you are buying it from - the producer, farmer or worker.

"Public Services Boards must rise to challenge of decision-making for future generations and the Welsh Government must raise their level of support and ambition for them to do so", said the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

Wales should explore paying everyone a basic income to study how it could improve lives for generations in the future, the First Minister is being urged.

A radical, ground-breaking culture change is essential if public bodies are going to provide better service provision, now and for future generations

People making a positive difference to Wales’ present and future are being spotlighted by the first Future Generations Commissioner, Sophie Howe, as she comes to the end of her seven-year term.

A radical, ground-breaking culture change is essential if public bodies are going to provide better service provision, now and for future generations. That’s the key message at a collaborative event hosted by Wales Auditor General and Future Generations Commission today.

Since the bike-sharing scheme launched in Cardiff earlier this year, I was one of the people that took advantage of the scheme and began travelling using the nextbike for my everyday travels across the city. After using them a few times, I started raving about it to my friends and family, or anyone who would listen, and getting them to use it too.

Poverty in Wales would be halved if Welsh Government commits to a progressive Universal Basic Income (UBI), according to a major study commissioned by the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Sophie Howe.

Involvement is at the heart of the Well-being of Future Generations Act. Since the creation of the Future Generations Commissioner in 2016, our office has involved thousands of people to support and inform our work. Some of the involvement projects we have undertaken to date include

The international community faces huge challenges of climate change and dwindling resources. The Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales) argues that if we hope to tackle those big questions, engaging in a sustainable way with local policy will be critical. I want to shine a light on how some of those local and global policy challenges link together through the lens of community transport.

Recently the Future Generations Commissioner called for the Welsh Government to instil the value of “kindness” at every level of government and public policy in order to meet the requirements of the Well-being and Future Generations Act.

Following today’s announcement by the Welsh Government of a climate emergency, Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales said:

Cardiff is a really exciting place at the moment. We have a young and fast-growing city, with jobs being created, houses being built and a billion pounds worth of regional rail infrastructure on its way. There’s a real buzz about the capital city.

To mark International Women’s Day, Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales has announced a new staff policy that provides support and paid leave to staff who are victims of domestic abuse so that they can leave the abuse and secure safe accommodation.

Fuel poverty could be eradicated in Wales by 2030 if Welsh Government commits to a long-term plan to improve the efficiency of our homes, says the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.

n response to the Extinction Rebellion Cardiff five-day protest to highlight the need for urgent action to tackle climate change, Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales said:

One of the early conversations I had when I first joined Samaritans was with an organisation with which we were working in partnership to train staff and raise awareness.

The importance of mental health for our future generations

Like many parents, I supply my family with vitamins as we try to prevent the inevitable latest strain of winter cold or even flu. GP waiting rooms fill up and media outlets report the annual surge in waiting times or demand for hospital beds.

More than two thirds of the public want the Government to consider future generations in policy-making – according to new research - and the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales is backing a campaign for a UK-wide law that protects tomorrow from the actions of today.

During Fairtrade Fortnight, we, sixth form pupils from Llanfyllin High School were the audience of a Fairtrade assembly ran by Ffion Storer Jones of Montgomeryshire Federation of Young Farmers Club (YFC) and Nimrod Wambette; a Fairtrade coffee farmer from Uganda.

We are very pleased to see the Welsh Government publish this important report today accepting the recommendations of the Roads Review Panel which we supported. We thank them and Dr Lyn Sloman for their evident commitment to transforming the way we will move around Wales.  

During the Summer, we hosted our first event at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff Bay. The subject of debate was, 'Should robots speak Welsh?' Here are the reflections of Meilys and Indeg who sat on the panel. 

Thousands of new ‘future-fit' jobs could be created if the new Welsh Government embraces a radical vision for Wales, according to the Future Generations Commissioner.

The world’s first Commissioner whose role it is to act as guardian for future generations, Sophie Howe (Future Generations Commissioner for Wales) will be highlighting how Wales’ is leading the way on safeguarding the interests of future generations when she addresses the United Nations High Level Political Forum in New York this week.

‘the leaders, the people, they rolled over like spent dogs, yawned above the warnings’

Wales’ political parties must act now on the urgent priorities of the nation’s young people, the world’s first Future Generations Commissioner has warned.

Sophie Howe, the newly appointed Future Generations Commissioner for Wales will take to the stage at this year’s Hay Festival. The session on June 3rd at 7pm on the Starlight Stage is called “Jane Davidson talks to Sophie Howe on ‘the single most important piece of legislation for the last 20 years?” and will focus on the new Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act which came into force in Wales on April 1st 2016.

Welsh Government must focus on planning for the long term, setting the standard for involving people in the decisions that affect them if they are serious about improving lives, says Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe.

We have been working with the Welsh Government to develop a practical tool to help people working in public services to apply the Well-being of Future Generations Act ways of working to the design and delivery of services.

A new report published today by the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Sophie Howe shows how Wales could transform its transport system by investing in public transport, active travel and ensuring delivery of all phases of the South Wales Metro with the £1.4bn currently earmarked for the M4 Black Route.

Stories about climate events are becoming more common across our news channels. Floods, migration, crop failures, public health – the impact of climate change is wide and varied. Perhaps this incremental increase in climate change activity will lead to more coverage where environmental stories compete for air time on our radio and tv news outlets and in newspaper columns.

“When I look at my life it feels like I really take after my mother."

“Welsh Government’s new Programme for Government is a reminder of the severe inequalities and injustices facing current and future generations, exacerbated by key events of the last year."

Future Generations Commissioner for Wales is seeking to tender a short-term contract to support the team to package up and communicate examples of our personal journey to ‘walk the talk’ of the Act and be the change that we want to see in others.

When you hear about how things work elsewhere you tend to compare it to what you know and are used to. In that regard learning about how America is governed has been a bit of an eye opener for me - I studied it in a relatively, small doses during my degree but seeing it first-hand is something else.

The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015) requires Public Services Boards to publish a local assessment of economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being.

Culture is a powerful tool for fighting climate change, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales will say today at COP 26.

People in Wales should be able to access nature four minutes from where they live, the Future Generations Commissioner is announcing during National Tree Week.

Wales’ Future Generations Commissioner is visiting Dublin, Ireland, this week as both countries share learnings on protecting future generations by law.

On the week of the Homeless World Cup in Cardiff, we’re celebrating how sport can bring together people of all ages, from all backgrounds.

Imagine a person born 50 or 100 years into the future - how is their life going to be made worse or better by what you do today?

On a sunny day in June 2018, I was privileged to be invited to attend the Inaugural EU Cities Fair and Ethical Trade Award Ceremony, in Brussels along with representatives from 15 other EU countries.

The first major report on current and future well-being in Wales by Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales is published Tuesday, 25th July 2017.

April 1st marked the first anniversary of the Well-being of Future Generations Act coming into place.

As we celebrated our National Patron Saint’s Day last week, we were reminded of our country’s strong cultural identity and affinity with the arts

Proposals to build a £1.1bn road to ease congestion on the M4 fail to set out how it will meet the needs of our future generations who will be burdened with paying for it,” says Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.

“Public services, as the largest employer in Wales, have a huge contribution to make in developing and enhancing cultural well-being. Culture is the lifeblood of a vibrant society, expressed in the many ways we tell our stories, celebrate, remember the past, entertain ourselves, and imagine the future. Our creative expression helps define who we are, and helps us see the world through the eyes of others."

Commissioner urges Government create a system focused on well-being by investing in preventative care

Here, he explains the next steps and why he believes Cymru Can use the Well-being of Future Generations Act to make Wales a better place to live for now and future generations.

“I grew up in Conway in St Lucia, and I had the most wonderful childhood - growing up in the Caribbean - playing ‘Ticky Tock’ with these nice little stones, going on the boats and by the beach."

Art is good for mental well-being

As we start the new school year, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of a very special upcoming date in the global calendar, which will provide you with an opportunity to introduce the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to children and young people and unite them in action with others around the globe

At this year’s COP28, the world’s nations have for the first time agreed that we must all transition away from fossil fuels. While this is a historic moment for us as global citizens and for our planet, it has failed to capture the urgency of the situation. 

Supporting community climate action is essential if local councils are to help Wales cut climate-warming carbon emissions and reach net zero, the Future Generations Commissioner said today. [Tuesday, March 5.]

Wales is leading the way to protect future generations, the United Nations has said.

The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales is pleased to announce the names of the first cohort of young people to participate in the Future Generations Leadership Academy.

The late and pioneering Arfon Rhys is to be thanked for introducing me to the Scharmer U Theory in 2007. Broadly speaking, this theory of ‘change’ states that individuals, who are responsible for introducing change, must take a number of mental and preparatory steps before they are in a position to implement new strategy to its full potential.

Should your organisation do it and, if yes, how?

My wife and I drove UP to the Farm Shop for breakfast in Cross Hands- half the charge had gone-will we be able to get home.... What have I done?

In response to Cardiff Council's vote to divest pensions from fossil fuels Thursday, 18th July, Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales said:

We’re celebrating Black History Month #proudtobe with stories from Black people across Wales on lessons Black history can teach us about the future.  Here, Jessica Dunrod, 32, author, translator, and education and inclusion consultant, from Cardiff, talks about the importance of representation and why complacency is one of the biggest threats to future generations... 

At Nesta we have spent a lot of time over the last few years thinking about the future of the world of work.

A new transport vision for Wales’ future that prioritises public transport and active travel is a positive step towards shifting the nation’s travel habits, says Future Generations Commissioner Sophie Howe.

Education fit for the Future A White Paper For discussion Produced by Professor Calvin Jones in collaboration with the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

The Education Fit for the Future in Wales report, authored by Professor Calvin Jones (Cardiff Business School) in collaboration with the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, is a White Paper for discussion that calls for us to match the skills needed in the future with our education and qualifications system in Wales.

A new easy-to-use guide will help public bodies to think and plan better for the long-term, by keeping a clear vision and taking future trends into account.

With £1bn of Pension Funds investment in Wales being spent on fossil fuel based companies, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales calls on Local Authorities to demonstrate how climate risk is being incorporated into their current and future fund's investment strategy.

Almost a quarter of people are living in poverty in Wales, only 1% of apprenticeships in Wales are filled by disabled people and future working trends suggest that 65% of jobs at risk of becoming automated are those done by women.

As we continue our work exploring the skills we will need for the future, we asked Whitchurch High School student, Maddie Emery, about her favourite school topic and why it’s important to her. As Maddie makes important decisions around university courses and writes her personal statement, we asked her to share her thoughts on what she wants to study in the future and why… Geography: It’s Importance in Today’s World

The deadline for responses to the Welsh Government on the status of the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification is TODAY and you can find more information here.

Public bodies in Wales spend over £6 billion each year procuring a range of goods, services and works; this represents nearly a third of total devolved Welsh annual expenditure, and it is estimated that over the next decade Welsh public services will spend over £60 billion.

Over the last few months, we have been collecting good case studies of how the Act is being implemented on the ground across Wales.

We have the opportunity to create a better Wales for current and future generations.

Wales’ Well-being of Future Generations Act is a law that puts a duty on Welsh Government to protect the interests of future generations while meeting the challenges of today - the law requires the Government to set milestones they are seeking to achieve on their way to meeting each of Wales’ seven well-being goals.

As part of our duty to promote the sustainable development principle, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Sophie Howe, is seeking an agency to create and deliver a PR campaign to promote the sustainable development principle to a range of new audiences.

Stronger, more focused action is needed to protect communities in Wales from the risks of Climate Change, says Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.

There are 48 public bodies in Wales covered by the Act who are required to carry out sustainable development

“The debate around the future of the chronically congested M4 has been too much about the needs of the car and not enough about the needs of the people of South East Wales and our environment.

Cymru Can: Here's why we think it will... Rob Ashelford, Head of Nesta Cymru, on why 2024 might be the year Wales shifts towards real change that benefits people now and protects the future.

We will make it our mission to ensure the Well-being of Future Generations Act is applied effectively and with ambition in a way that improves the lives of the people of Wales now and in the future.

As the First Minister highlights, this is an opportunity to take a new approach. I am encouraged the Welsh Government recognises the need for new ways of working to make the most of its contribution to improving the wellbeing of people – today and in the longer term

Wales needs to up the scale and pace on delivering its future generations law, says the Future Generations Commissioner, as he launches his new strategy, Cymru Can. 

In this report we have worked together to consider how Wales’ commitment to internationally recognised children’s rights can work with the groundbreaking Well-being of Future Generations Act to meet children’s needs – now and in the future.

The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales says the Climate Change Committee’s findings that Welsh Government is not on track to meet its climate emissions targets make ‘urgent’ reading.

As I write, President Trump looks set to pull the United States of America out of the Paris global climate agreement. Climate change denial is gaining traction and dismissing the views of experts and scientists who have studied these things for many years is common place.

Having spent over 40 years as a local government planner, I am now a planning director in my own consultancy practice.

The announcement back in March this year that the UK was going into lockdown was a shock to us all and created significant challenges as we navigated a new world which largely required us to stay at home.

Last week saw the start of my six-month secondment with the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. The aim of my time here is to build on some of the work I’ve been doing with the housing sector in Wales, as well as supporting some wider work of the team.

Improving our nation’s health and acting on the nature and climate emergencies can’t wait. Farmers and communities need support to prepare for the future. 

In response to the Supplementary Budget announced by Welsh Government today, I recognise there is an enormous challenge to face in dealing with the immediate COVID-19 crisis.

I am calling on the Welsh Government to launch a shorter working week trial.

The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales has welcomed plans to improve public transport to reduce traffic on the M4- but says more needs to be done to retain the numbers of people working remotely.

My experience as an apprentice with the Office for Future Generations Commissioner

Wales must have full borrowing powers from Westminster to build a green recovery, says the Future Generations Commissioner.

Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, 1984 by George Orwell and the complete works of Shakespeare are some of the books that have shaped the way we think, inspired change and left an indelible mark on future generations.

Should robots speak Welsh?

Cymru Can sets out our new strategy for 2023 – 2030 and our long-term vision.

Recently the BBC announced the identity of the 13th Doctor Who, to be played by actor Jodie Whittaker. Within seconds of the announcement, scores of people took to social media to voice their opinions, with reactions ranging from optimistic delight at this progressive decision to outrage at the role being given to a woman.

The UK’s first 'guardian of the not-yet-born’ is encouraging other countries at COP27 this week to protect future generations from the climate, nature and cost of living emergencies by law.