Sophie Howe, the newly appointed Future Generations Commissioner for Wales will take to the stage at this year’s Hay Festival. The session on June 3rd at 7pm on the Starlight Stage is called “Jane Davidson talks to Sophie Howe on ‘the single most important piece of legislation for the last 20 years?” and will focus on the new Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act which came into force in Wales on April 1st 2016.

This will be an exciting discussion with questions from Jane and the audience on the new Act.  Jane Davidson was the Minister for Sustainability in the previous Welsh Government who proposed the Act and is now Director of the award winning Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness (INSPIRE) at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

The Well-being of Future Generations Act came into full force this year and requires public bodies within Wales to ensure that they make decisions that meet the needs of current and future generations.

The ethos of the Hay Festival fits with the purpose of the Act to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales.

The Festival offers immense cultural and artistic value to Wales and links to the importance of cultural well-being, which is recognised in the Act. The ‘Hay on Earth’ programme also recognises and addresses the impact of the Festival on the environment.

Speaking before the event, the Commissioner said

“The festival is about sharing stories and debating ideas in order to transform how people think and what they do. This type of cultural and behavioural change will be crucial to achieving the Wales we want in the future and will be an important part of my role as the first Future Generations Commissioner for Wales.  We have some huge challenges and some huge opportunities ahead of us and I am looking forward to hearing what people have to say about how we can make the Well-being of Future Generations Act real.”

Jane Davidson said, “I was delighted to see Sophie appointed as the first Commissioner for Future Generations in Wales with major statutory powers. I believe this Act has the potential to revolutionise the way public services are delivered in Wales, contributing to better, more responsible decision making and enabling Wales to become a beacon of social, environmental, economic and cultural improvement. This event will be the first time the new Commissioner is able to share her views of her new role in making that happen with an open audience. It’s not to be missed!”