K M Smart
November 2024

The Wellbeing of Future Generations Act: A Success Story

Welsh coastline

The Wellbeing of Future Generations Act came into force in Wales in April 2016 and introduced a legal obligation for public bodies in Wales to improve the social, cultural, environmental, and economic wellbeing of Welsh citizens. 

The Act defines Sustainable Development in Wales as "The process of improving the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales by taking action, in accordance with the sustainable development principle, aimed at achieving the well-being goals."

Under the Act, these bodies were tasked with considering the long-term impact of Wales by working with communities to decrease poverty, reduce health inequalities, and mitigate the impact of climate change. Crucially, the Act has changed the way success is measured – evaluating progress based on wellbeing, rather than GDP.

The Act has seven Well-being Goals that were derived from the Wales We Want initiative. These are:

  • A Prosperous Wales
  • A Resilient Wales
  • A More Equal Wales
  • A Healthier Wales
  • A Wales of Cohesive Communities
  • A Wales of Vibrant Culture and Thriving Welsh Language
  • A Globally Responsible Wales

It sets out five ways of working needed for public bodies to achieve the seven well-being goals. These are:

  • Long term – recognising the importance of balancing short-term needs, while safeguarding long term needs
  • Integration – public bodies ensuring that all the wellbeing goals are considered in initiatives
  • Involvement – ensuring those with an interest in achieving the well-being goals are involved and those people reflect the diversity of the area that public body services
  • Collaboration – working well with individuals, different parts of the public body involved, or even other public bodies
  • Prevention – acting to prevent problems occurring or escalating to meet wellbeing objectives

The Act is broad in scope and requires organisations to work in new, innovative, and often challenging ways for the benefit of future generations

Implementation

The Act requires Welsh Ministers and Public Bodies to produce local wellbeing plans; which set out the Public Services Boards' (PSB) priorities and actions for the next five years to improve the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being of each local PSB area in Wales. Progress is monitored and accessed through annual wellbeing reports. Ministers are also required to provide a Future Trends report considering the latest data available on climate change.

A Future Generations Commissioner supports public bodies and Welsh policy makers to consider the long-term impact of their decisions. Finally, the Auditor General reviews all documentation, data, and information to examine the extent to which Ministers and Public Bodies are ensuring that sustainable development is at the heart of wellbeing objectives.

Success in Wales

Since coming into force, the Act has been seen as a success for Wales. It has ensured that wellbeing is not just a buzzword, but at the top of the agenda. It has been deemed the biggest cultural change programme ever seen in Wales and has allowed a mindset shift within the Welsh Government that has slowly, but surely, unpicked or mitigated nearly every barrier that comes into conflict with it. Platitudes have been removed with the intention that the Act can be used to serve the best interests of Wales as a country and its citizens.

In the years since it came into force, the following progress has been made:

Further afield

After seeing the results of the Act, Scotland and Ireland have committed to enshrine the principles of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act into future legislation for their countries. Countries such as Japan, New Zealand, Canada, France, and Germany have also taken inspiration from the “Welsh model”. In 2023, the Welsh Government released a Future Generations Policy Toolkit to assist other countries in developing their own Acts.

In September 2024, the United Nations’ Summit of the Future signed the Declaration on Future Generations, inspired by the Welsh model. The Declaration commits to safeguard the wellbeing and needs of future generations and has been declared as a milestone in the global movement for long term decision making. An implementation handbook and policy brief has also been released, outlining a roadmap for policy makers in UN countries to embed intergenerational fairness and long-term governance principles into national strategies.  

Notes

Public Service Boards have now been set up in areas – including Bridgend, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Swansea, Vale of Glamorgan, Pembrokeshire, and Wrexham. Members of each Public Service Board include members of Local Authorities, Local Health Boards, Welsh Fire and Rescue authorities and Natural Resources Bodies. Initiations are also provided to Welsh Ministers, chief constables, the Police and Crime Commissioner and voluntary organisations.

Public Bodies include Local Authorities, Ministers, NHS Trusts, National Parks, the Higher Education Funding Council, the Arts Council, the Sports Councils, and the National Library and Museums.

Organisations – large and small – are also part of the legislation and movement, with the Team Wales approach in mind. This includes teachers, public service providers, communities, businesses, tourist destinations, leisure centres, recycling centres, building societies, and construction sites.

Bibliography

  1. About the Future Generations Act | Future Generations Commissioner
  2. The Well-being of Future Generations | Welsh Government
  3. The Well-being of Future Generations Act | WCVA
  4. Is all well with our Well-being of Future Generations Act? | Institute of Welsh Affairs
  5. Wales celebrates landmark moment as the UN Adopts Declaration on Future Generations | Future Generations Commissioner
  6. "The Declaration on Future Generations is an absolute novelty” paving the way for a sustainable future | UN Western Europe
  7. Working for the wellbeing of current and future generations | School of International Futures
  8. Jane Davidson on the Creation of The Well-Being of Future Generations Act in Wales | Tree Media
  9. The Well-being of Future Generations Act and its impact so far | Future Generations Commissioner
  10. Interview with Sophie Howe - Future Generations Commissioner for Wales | Cymru Wales
  11. The Future Generations Commissioner: A Role That Every Country Needs | Creative Bureaucracy Festival
  12. Policy Brief: Future Generations | UN Summit of the Future
  13. The Future Generations Policy Roadmap | Foundations for Tomorrow
  14. The Well-being of Future Generations | Natural Resources Wales
  15. Well-being of Future Generations: A plan for wellbeing and health in higher education | HEFCW
  16. Whole School Approach to Emotional and Mental Wellbeing | Public Health Wales
  17. Solar farm extension and new battery gives Morriston Hospital even more power and savings | Swansea Bay University Health Board
  18. National Planning Policy Framework | GOV.UK
  19. Building Better Places: The Planning System delivering Resilient and Brighter Futures | Welsh Government