These shifts do not happen overnight; they are often the result of years of decisions that prioritise power, profit or political convenience over people. Future generations thinking exists precisely to challenge that drift, by asking who benefits now, who pays later, and whose voices are missing.
Since the role of the future generations commissioner was introduced in 2016, this way of thinking has moved from bold idea to legal reality. Public bodies in Wales are required to consider how their decisions affect long‑term well-being and whether they reduce, rather than deepen, inequality.
That includes work to take on structural racism through the Anti‑racist Wales Action Plan, improve access to democratic institutions, and ensure that communities historically excluded from decision‑making are heard.
But progress does not mean complacency. We are living through overlapping crises – rising living costs, a climate and nature emergency, pressures on public services and global political instability. In moments like these, short‑term thinking can feel tempting. Yet when long‑term impacts on housing, health, work and the environment are ignored, problems do not disappear.
They return later, more entrenched and more unequal, hitting hardest those already facing disadvantage.
This is how poverty becomes intergenerational, how poor health becomes predictable, and how social division is allowed to deepen.
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Long‑term thinking offers a different route. Take child poverty. Nearly three in 10 children in Wales live in poverty, shaping their health, education and opportunities for decades. Addressing this is not only about crisis response, but about prevention. Since 2022, more than 55 million free school meals have been provided, easing immediate pressure on families while improving long‑term health and educational outcomes. At the same time, a new curriculum is helping young people develop ethical awareness, resilience and civic understanding – skills that matter for life, not just exams.
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Environmental action shows what sustained commitment can achieve. Wales was the first UK nation to introduce a plastic bag charge and the first parliament in the world to declare a climate emergency. Today, Wales is one of the world’s top recycling nations. These choices reduce emissions, protect natural resources and help ensure that future generations inherit a liveable planet. They also demonstrate that a small nation can lead global change.
The same principle applies to how we design our communities. The introduction of a default 20mph speed limit has led to a significant reduction in people being injured on our roads, while making neighbourhoods safer, healthier and more connected.
Fewer collisions mean less pressure on the NHS, lower long‑term costs and streets where children and older people can move more freely. This is social justice in practice: designing systems that protect life and wellbeing over time.
As we look ahead to the next Senedd election, these choices take on added weight. Sixteen‑ and 17‑year‑olds will be able to vote, giving young people a direct say in decisions that will shape their futures. This is not just a democratic milestone; it is a reminder that long‑term thinking must include those who will live longest with the consequences.
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Future generations thinking also reshapes how we approach health and energy. Health is not created in hospitals alone, but through preventative health – safe housing, decent work, access to green spaces, culture and community. Similarly, no one should have to choose between heating their home and paying for food. Community‑led renewable energy projects in Wales are cutting fuel poverty, lowering bills and keeping wealth local, while supporting the transition to a fairer energy system. We need more of this action and it’s part of my role to challenge those in power to take it.
I’ve called for Wales to put in law nature restoration targets like our climate targets because too often, they’re seen as separate, and nature isn’t given the protection it deserves.
My team and I also intervened so that the Welsh government is focusing on all types of pollution in all Welsh rivers, not just protected areas, and is helping to improve how we feed people in the future.
Globally, interest in Wales’ approach continues to grow. The UN’s adoption of a Declaration on Future Generations signals a wider recognition that long‑term wellbeing must sit at the heart of decision‑making. Through initiatives such as the Future Generations Leadership Academy and Hwb Dyfodol, co-run by my team, Wales is sharing practical tools that help leaders and communities plan fairly and sustainably.
Looking ahead is not abstract or idealistic. It is about protecting rights, preventing harm and building systems that care for people over the long term. The past decade has shown what is possible when the future is taken seriously. The challenge now is to deepen that commitment – so that we continue to look after each other, not just tomorrow, but today.
Derek Walker is the future generations commissioner for Wales.
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