The world around us is filled with innovation. Our legislation provides us with the permission to think and act differently here in Wales.

As Future Generations Commissioner I want to highlight the good examples from across the World, and find ways of bringing it back to Wales. Throughout the website you will find various examples linked to individual pieces of work. Here are some of the examples from around the World:

The United Arab Emirates have established a ‘Ministry of Possibilities’, the world’s first virtual ministry to apply design-thinking and experimentation to develop proactive and disruptive solutions to tackle critical issues. The Ministry brings together the ‘brightest and best’ from national and local government teams, private and voluntary sectors to consider radical changes in government systems, adopt new innovative models and work in ways that take calculated risks.

I’ve recommended that Welsh Government establish a Ministry of Possibilities as part of my Future Generations Report. 

Finland is considering a four day working week to boost productivity and cut carbon emissions. One study found that if we spent 10% less time working, our carbon footprint would reduce by 14.6%, and if we cut the hours we work by 25%, our carbon footprint would decline by 36.6%.

I’ve recommended that Welsh Government explore opportunities to pilot a shorter working week, aligned with universal basic income as part of my Future Generations Report. I’ve also commissioned research in Wales to explore what this could look like in practice. 

The New Zealand Government published its first Well-being Budget in May 2019. It takes a different approach to measuring success, based on a broader range of indicators than just Gross Domestic Product and puts well-being at the heart of decision-making.

We’re working closely with various Non-Governmental Organizations in New Zealand to learn more about their approach to well-being budgeting. 

Cities such as Milan, Melbourne, Berlin and Shanghai, are using nature to tackle policy problems, such as urban greening for city cooling, improving citizen engagement to restore public land and flood prevention.