Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 is widely regarded as one of devolution's most distinctive legislative achievements — the world's first legislation to require public bodies to consider the long-term impact of their decisions on future generations. The Future Generations Commissioner is the independent guardian of this Act.

The Future Generations Commissioner's office represents one of devolution's most innovative institutional contributions: a statutory role that has no equivalent anywhere else in the UK or in most other countries. By challenging the Senedd and Welsh Government to prioritise long-term wellbeing over short-term political cycles, the Commissioner provides a structural check on the tendency of democratic governments to focus on electoral timescales. The office's very existence is an argument for devolution: it demonstrates that a Welsh Parliament can produce genuinely innovative legislation that would be unlikely to emerge from Westminster, where the UK Government rejected similar proposals. The Commissioner's challenges to the Welsh Government — on climate targets, economic inequality, and public service reform — also demonstrate that devolution doesn't just replicate Westminster governance at a smaller scale but can create genuinely different institutional cultures. Derek Walker, who succeeded Sophie Howe as Commissioner in 2023, has continued to push for the Act's goals to be more fully embedded in Welsh Government decision-making.