Failing to put low carbon as a central pillar of the Cardiff City Deal programme would be both environmentally and economically irresponsible,” says Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.

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 Well-being of Future Generations Act gives us the encouragement, the permission and the statutory obligation to make the changes needed to improve our social, cultural, environmental and economic well-being

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. It is a common phrase that we use in our office where the second-hand office furniture and ‘no plastic cup’ signs welcome visitors.

The Well-being of Future Generations Act requires you to use the five ways of working to maximise your contribution to the seven well-being goals – a number of which relate to climate change and low carbon.

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

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.

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?

I’m fortunate to have a job where I see lots of people doing lots of amazing things (occasionally the reverse too) but a project that I visited whilst in Austin Texas as part of the US Embassy’s International Visitor Leadership Programme last week has got to be up there with one of the best

Working in collaboration with Cardiff University, the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales has undertaken research and a Section 20 Review, to establish the extent to which the Act has been informing procurement decisions across the public bodies in Wales since 2016 (when the Act came into force).  

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.

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

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.

Sophie Howe says we have  a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to reset Wales’ economy and is calling for “visionary ideas and transformative investment” in the nation’s recovery plan. 

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Ten years ago the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) launched a pioneering report – Zero carbon Britain – showing that we have the technology and solutions to reduce our carbon emissions down to zero.

What I’ve learnt about climate change since becoming Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, earlier this year, is quite simply frightening. There is no doubt that it’s the greatest challenge facing future generations and action is urgently needed across the public sector to reduce our emissions and its impacts.

The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, Sophie Howe, in collaboration with Literature Wales and Wales Arts International, is announcing an exciting opportunity for an emerging poet to bring the Well-being of Future Generations Act to life.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

11 years……. 11 mlynedd……. That’s the amount of time that the intergovernmental panel on climate change have estimated we have to change our ways to prevent a potentially catastrophic global temperature rise of 1.5 degrees.

Climate change is the greatest threat facing future generations. On 29 April 2019 Welsh Government declared a climate emergency, shortly after publishing their plan “Low Carbon Wales” which contains 100 policies and proposal but not detail on how these will be funded.

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.

We will make it our mission to ensure all Welsh public bodies achieve their net zero and nature positive goals by 2030. As a result, public bodies are leading action on climate change including adaptation, in a way that reduces inequalities and maximises the benefits to people and communities across Wales.

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

Resources that can help you think in the longer-term and act today for a better tomorrow.

The purpose of our work is to estimate the total funding needed for the decarbonisation of homes in Wales, identify funding gaps and suggest approaches to addressing these gaps.

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.

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.

"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

The Cardiff based social enterprise coffee shop that provides employment opportunities to the homeless has been chosen by the team members of the office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales first official annual charity.

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.

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.]

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.

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.

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

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.

Sometimes when we talk about housing, we get very caught up in the technicalities, the regulations, planning and specifics, that we forget that we're really talking about is home.

Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales: “In previous and current budgets the Welsh Government spend has been around 1% on decarbonisation which is nowhere near enough to fund the challenges that a climate emergency presents.

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

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.

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.

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

We will make it our mission to help transition Wales to an economy that puts people and planet first. As a result, governments at all levels, communities and business are making this happen.

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.

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.

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

Given the unprecedented challenges we’ve faced over the past couple of years, I want to acknowledge the commitment Public Services Boards (PSBs) have demonstrated in working together to prepare their 2022 well-being assessments.

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.

In my role as the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, I have found an increasing interest over the last 6 months, from different sectors and indeed different countries to the Well-being of Future Generations Act and the work of our Office.

When MAGOR was launched on 14th March 2013, the group realised from the outset the enormity of the tasks facing them. The first challenge was to get the walkway concept and business plans agreed and funded by governments and the rail industry.

“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

After the success of the 2020 pilot academy, the Future Generations Leadership Academy has returned in 2021 to inspire the next generation of Welsh leaders.

“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."

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. 

Art is good for mental well-being

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. 

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.

The best business is when people, planet and profit intertwine

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.

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

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.

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. 

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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:

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.

“All my life I have wanted to become a doctor, however in my second year of studies, when I started plugging myself in to different communities and meeting different people through networking, I realised there was so much to do. And impacts to be made in so many ways."

Wales could be the test ground for a pioneering initiative to give citizens a basic income from the government and a shorter working week.

“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.

Embedding public value within the heart of the activities of Cardiff Business School, is a unique feature of the school.  

The Well-being of Future Generations Act requires a new way of thinking about how our public services are delivered in Wales. Public Bodies must work in a way that improves the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales.

“We have recently declared a climate emergency in Wales but are failing to take the action at the scale or pace needed to meet our carbon emission targets. The impact of climate change is already evident in Wales with 23% of our coastline being eroded because of rising sea water as well as the risk of losing 1 in 14 of our wildlife species. Yet it is still our younger generations who are leading the debate and holding governments to account on their lack of action to combat climate change,” said Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.

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. 

“This is a huge step in the right direction for the healthier, resilient and more equal Wales and shows the difference having a Well-being of Future Generations Act makes."

Public bodies in Wales must become more ambitious and adventurous and provide better clarity on how they are meeting their obligations under the Well-being of Future Generations Act, says Sophie Howe in a new report published today.

A future-fit curriculum for our children, solar panels saving a hospital £1m a year in electric bills, a road building freeze and hundreds of people receiving a basic income – these are just some of the changes Wales is making thanks to its world-leading Well-being of Future Generations Act.

In collaboration with the New Economics Foundation and building on research undertaken by the Wales TUC, I have published analysis showing the potential of investment in green jobs and skills for a prosperous, green and equal recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

The forthcoming budget is a defining moment for the Welsh Government.

Following Welsh Government’s publication of an update to the Welsh Infrastructure Investment Plan, Monday, 4th November, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales has called on the Welsh Government to publish its carbon impact assessments to evidence how they are taking steps to tackle the climate emergency.

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.

Following the First Minister, Mark Drakeford’s decision earlier today to reject the building of the M4 Relief Road, Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner said:

The interconnections of people and planet: health depends on nature.

A catalyst for wellbeing of future generations in Wales - a special report by Wildlife Trusts Wales

This paper is one of a series of reports being launched as part of the IWA’s ‘Re-energising Wales’ project, which in early 2019 will deliver a plan to enable Wales to meet its projected energy demands entirely from renewable sources by 2035. The report highlights a number of practical steps that can be taken to overcome Wales’ challenges.

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.

Young leaders from all over the world will come together in London this week to discuss some of the biggest global issues facing future generations. From climate change to education inequalities, the future of work and media freedom.

Sophie Howe, will join Prince William, Pope Francis, Al Gore, and over 50 notable speakers at the first ever free TED conference this Saturday.

In 2018/19, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales trialled a method of monitoring and assessing progress towards the well-being objectives set by public bodies – one of her duties according to the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

I recognise the significant challenges that the Welsh Government has faced in the past year, and it is positive that the draft budget for 2021-22, published in December 2020, emphasises the importance of a green and just recovery.

We provide advice, assistance and support to people on the Well-being of Future Generations Act in a variety of ways.

We will make it our mission to facilitate a transformation in the way we keep people healthy, with a greater focus on prevention and the long term. As a result, public bodies are working together to tackle the root causes of ill health and addressing health inequalities.

We will make it our mission to reinforce the positive impact of cultural well-being. As a result, public bodies are making the urgent changes needed to promote culture and creativity, enhance the fabric of communities and promote multi-culturalism and the Welsh language.

In response to Cardiff Council's Transport Green Paper, published Wednesday, 21 March and the start of a city-wide conversation on big ideas that could shape the future of Cardiff's transport system.

This report sets out my assessment of progress made in implementing the Act within the first reporting period, i.e. the last three years

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.

I am pleased to be publishing the first Future Generations Report.

This Sunday my daughter and I will be taking part in something significant. We will be joining thousands of women across the country marching to commemorate the brave women who came before us 100 years ago who marched, campaigned, starved and even died to get us the vote. 

From farm to fork, food is critical to achieving Wales’ well-being goals for the health of our people and our planet.

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

Currently in Wales we have a major skills gap. This is only going to widen as we move to green technologies and green jobs. We know that if Wales is to be prosperous, we need our workers to have the skills for the jobs of the future.

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.

Our younger generations are calling out the failures of past decisions, and sadly, often decisions in the continuing present that fail to take into account their futures – embarrassing, perhaps, but necessary.

The work we do in Wales continues to inspire organisations and governments internationally.

In response to a BBC Wales story on the numbers of Welsh women in prison for non-violent offences, Sophie Howe commented on how the impact on children and young people and contributes to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

For centuries we have learnt and understood the world around us through the ancient art of storytelling.

Friends of the Earth Cymru, Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales and other environment, development and trade union groups are calling on all public sector bodies in Wales to stop investing in climate-wrecking fossil fuel companies.