Derek Walker, Wales’ Future Generations Commissioner, last week sounded a dire warning about huge troubles coming down the pike for the country. He underscores the need for immediate action or risk Wales facing an “unrecognizable future.” He pointed to the acute emergencies of climate change, poverty, and public health that need to be addressed right now. Walker’s claims come as the Welsh public sector faces unprecedented demand and the effects of years of austerity.
Appointed in 2022, Derek Walker oversees the implementation of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, which was enacted in 2015. This historic legislation put Wales at the forefront of enshrining the rights of the citizens not-yet-born into law, becoming the first country in the world to do so. The Act mandates that public bodies consider the long-term consequences of their actions. In doing so, they’re making sure that their children and grandchildren don’t pay the price for the decisions we make today.
Walker’s most recent progress report, due to be published a year out from the next Senedd election, shows just how well Wales is performing on the world stage on recycling. Although he celebrates the milestones as victories, he stresses that tough work lies ahead. Unfortunately, nearly one-third of all children in Wales are growing up poor. From 2021 to 2023, more than one in five Americans lived in relative income poverty.
The report raised alarms regarding health indicators, with Wales having the highest percentage of people living with diabetes in the UK. In addition, about a quarter of adults are considered obese. These mental and physical health issues have only been made worse by increasing levels of anxiety and decreasing life satisfaction among adults throughout the region.
Walker remarked, “Future generations will live with the consequences of every decision we take to improve people’s lives and with trust in public institutions in decline, we must listen more, engage meaningfully with people’s concerns, and involve them without delay.”
The commissioner’s comments highlighted the urgency the city faces to address climate change. Today, nearly 273,000 houses in Wales are threatened by flooding—a number expected to double over the next hundred years. The promise The public sector has already made a huge promise by committing to net-zero emissions by 2030. As many experts have pointed out, this target is not realistic as things stand.
Walker called it “an act of collective self-sabotage.” Alex highlighted the distance between their lofty goals for sustainability and the realities that public institutions face on the ground. He stated that Wales had “led the way for the past ten years with our collective vision for a Cymru that’s protecting future generations.”
The Welsh public sector is on a knife edge, even called “at breaking point.” Yet, it’s doing so while being whipsawed by increasing demands and continuing austerity. A Welsh government spokesperson admitted it had been a “huge challenge,” but pointed out improvements delivered through by the Future Generations Act.
“Ten years of the Future Generations Act has changed how we work and think about sustainable development, and how we deliver for people and the planet, now and for the future,” they stated.702c Spokesperson The spokesperson further elaborated that they are looking closely with Walker’s recommendations and considering their response closely before any formal response.
While these accomplishments are worth celebrating, there are still alarm bells sounding about how well the core principles of the Act are being followed. The Wales Audit Office highlighted cases where public bodies didn’t place enough emphasis on long-term effects. “We see good examples, but we see instances where public bodies have given little or no explicit consideration to the Act,” they noted.
